‘Half-Arsed History’ Podcast Joins Acast Creator Network, Hits Six Million Listens

Acast, the world’s leading independent podcast company, has signed the popular history podcast Half-Arsed History to its growing Acast Creator Network.

Boasting six million all-time listens, 90,000 weekly listens and huge audiences in Australia, the UK, US and New Zealand, ‘Half-Arsed History’ takes listeners on a journey through the ages, blending humour, insight and unforgettable tales from the past.

Launching in 2018, the ‘Half-Arsed History’ podcast has established a loyal and highly engaged audience purely through audio, without the support of a social media or video component. The podcast recently caught the attention of Spotify, who included the show in their 2023 RADAR program. Meanwhile, late last year the podcast signed with leading entertainment talent agency WME for representation.

Hosted by Riley Knight, ‘Half-Arsed History’ highlights absurd and entertaining stories from the past, ranging from the history of the toilet to the lost secret of Greek fire. Each week, listeners are treated to three episodes, a full-length deep dive into a tale from the past, ‘Quarter-Arsed History’ – the bite-sized companion episode – and ‘Monuments’, the series that dives deep into epic builds such as The Pantheon and Stonehenge.

In 2012, Knight completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne, majoring in History. Six years later, he started ‘Half-Arsed History’, which put his history degree to good use.

Riley Knight said: “In high school, my Year 11 history teacher gave me a failing grade, saying my work consisted of 'a series of unsubstantiated generalisations with no evidence’. I’m proud to say that absolutely nothing has changed since then. It’s still a mystery as to why Acast have agreed to pick up my tinpot history podcast although I’m very glad they did.”

As Australia’s only truly global podcast company, Acast offers advertisers around the world a range of commercial offerings within the ‘Half-Arsed History’ podcast, including the opportunity to collaborate with Riley on host-read sponsorships and branded episodes for the first time.

Ryan Lamont, Senior Development Manager for Acast AU/NZ, said: "‘Half-Arsed History’ is an Australian success story. To have grown such a large and dedicated audience, with no social presence, is a testament to Riley’s skills as a host and storyteller. We’re excited to work with Riley on deeper monetisation of the podcast in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, US and beyond.”

Acast will host, distribute and monetise ‘Half-Arsed History’ globally as part of the Acast Creator Network. WME brokered the deal on behalf of Knight and ‘Half-Arsed History.’