The BBC has decided that it won’t go ahead with plans to place ads in some podcasts in the UK on commercial platforms such as Spotify and Apple.
The move was being considered by BBC Studios to help support the corporation by generating more revenue, subject to regulatory approval. The same content would continue to be ad-free on BBC Sounds.
When the idea was floated, there was considerable objection from companies such as ITV, Sky, Bauer, Global, and Goalhanger. They sent a joint letter to the Culture Secretary saying that it would be “disastrous” for the UK podcast industry.
In a statement, the BBC has now said: “We have listened to feedback and having considered the options carefully, we have decided to rule out placing adverts around BBC licence-fee funded programmes on third party podcast platforms in the UK.
“We will continue to support the audio sector and the wider market, investing in the best ideas and developing production capabilities across the UK.”
