PodcastsCelebrityIndustry

Ant & Dec’s Move Into Podcasts: What Their Launch Reveals About Celebrity Media Strategy

ffilmreview

2026-01-31

9 min read

Ant & Dec's Hanging Out is more than a celeb podcast—it's a blueprint for late‑career brand expansion and audio monetization in 2026.

Why Ant & Dec’s new podcast matters — and why you should care

If you feel buried under a flood of celebrity podcasts, exclusive streaming channels and endless platform choices, you're not alone. Choosing what to watch or listen to has become a decision problem as much as a taste one. When Ant & Dec announce their first podcast as part of a new digital entertainment channel — Hanging Out on the Belta Box platform — it’s more than another celeb title. It’s a case study in how late-career TV personalities pivot into audio, extend brand equity and monetize fandom in 2026.

Top line: smart, strategic, and on-brand — not just late to the party

At first glance the move looks obvious: veteran presenters with decades of mainstream visibility launching a podcast. But the timing and structure matter. Ant & Dec are not simply dipping a toe into a crowded market — they are launching audio as part of a broader owned-channel strategy that includes YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and short-form clips. That ecosystem approach changes the economics and goals of a podcast. This is not just content creation; it’s brand architecture.

"We asked our audience if we did a podcast what would they like it be about, and they said 'we just want you guys to hang out'. So that's what we're doing - Ant & I don't get to hang out as much as we used to, so it's perfect for us." — Declan Donnelly

What the launch reveals about celebrity media strategy in 2026

The Ant & Dec example crystallizes several 2025–2026 trends shaping celebrity media strategy. Below I break them down with industry context and practical takeaways for anyone planning a podcast or branded audio channel.

1. Audio as a brand extension, not a standalone bet

Ant & Dec have bundled their podcast inside Belta Box, a digital entertainment umbrella that will host classic TV clips, short-form formats and social-first content across platforms. That reflects a big shift: podcasts are now a node inside a multi-format playbook. The goal is cross-pollination — drive viewers to long-form audio, then repurpose audio moments into viral clips, and sell memberships or tickets back to fans.

2. Late-career moves are about ownership and control

For established TV names, late-career pivoting into owned channels solves a classic problem: control. Traditional TV contracts and network schedules limit what public figures can publish. Owning a channel — with direct distribution on YouTube, Spotify, Apple and social platforms — gives creators editorial control, flexible ad/membership models and the ability to mine archive content (which Ant & Dec will host on Belta Box).

3. The monetization mix is increasingly diversified

By 2026 the single-stream ad-model is passé. Successful audio-first businesses combine:

Subscriptions and memberships (annual/ monthly tiers and perks)
Host-read and programmatic ads
Live shows and ticketing where on-air momentum converts to IRL revenue
Merch and licensing from show catchphrases or archive clips
Platform monetization — YouTube Shorts/Spotify video podcasts

Look to Goalhanger’s 2026 milestone as proof: the production company crossed 250,000 paying subscribers across its shows — generating roughly £15m a year in subscription income. That model demonstrates how a portfolio approach and premium perks (ad-free audio, early access, members-only content, community rooms) can be far more lucrative than ads alone. For global context on subscription-driven streaming booms, see the JioStar reporting on subscriber revenue here.

4. Community-first strategies win retention

More creators are building closed communities — Discord servers, members-only chats, and exclusive live Q&A sessions — as retention levers. Ant & Dec’s format to "take questions and comments from listeners" signals this. A simple Q&A thread can become the seed for a paid tier offering: early access, bonus episodes, or members-only live online hangs. Consider the micro-meeting playbook for how short live formats and AMA slots scale retention.

5. Repurposing archival TV as evergreen content

Ant & Dec’s vault of classic clips is a strategic asset. Nostalgia performs well on short-form platforms and helps onboard younger users who missed earlier TV moments. Pull a 90-second clip, add captioned context and drop it on TikTok or Instagram Reels — you convert discoverability into long-form listens.

Is it too late for celebrities to launch podcasts?

No — but the rules changed. In the early 2020s the market rewarded first movers and niche hosts. By 2025–26, saturation raised the bar: celebrity podcasts must offer either exclusive insight, distinct format, or a community proposition that standard network podcasts don’t. For legacy personalities like Ant & Dec, the advantage is scale and trust: millions already know their voices and chemistry. The smart play is to leverage that trust into diversified revenue and owned distribution.

Practical blueprint: How TV personalities should approach launching audio in 2026

Below is an actionable checklist distilled from industry practice, the Ant & Dec announcement, and 2026 platform realities. Use it to plan a podcast that’s sustainable, monetizable and aligned with long-term brand goals.

Step 1 — Define objectives and KPIs

Decide if the podcast is audience growth, direct revenue, archive monetization or brand reinforcement.
Set measurable KPIs: downloads per episode, subscriber conversion rate, membership revenue, engagement minutes, or social-driven traffic.

Step 2 — Choose a format that aligns with your strengths

Not every TV star needs a long-form interview show. Formats that work in 2026:

Conversational 'hang out' shows — low production, high authenticity (Ant & Dec’s model)
Archive deep-dives — repurposed TV material with new commentary
Mini-series — limited-run, high-production topical series
Community-driven Q&A or feedback episodes

Step 3 — Pick a distribution + ownership model

Options include:

Wide distribution (Spotify/Apple/YouTube) with owned website and newsletter for first-party data
Platform-exclusive deals — higher upfront revenue but riskier for audience control
Hybrid: free episodes wide, premium episodes or perks behind a membership (like Goalhanger)

Step 4 — Plan a realistic monetization mix

Combine multiple revenue streams to de-risk the project:

Tiered memberships with perks: ad-free listening, early drops, bonus episodes
Host-read ads for authenticity; these command premium CPMs in 2026
Clip monetization on social and YouTube Shorts
Live shows and ticketed events once demand surfaces
Merch and licensing for signature lines or nostalgia bundles — see a curated merch guide here.

Step 5 — Build a repeatable production workflow

Batch recording to create a backlog for flexibility
Standardize editing templates and social clip recipes
Use dynamic ad insertion and analytics dashboards to measure monetization

Step 6 — Activate community and retention tactics

Open AMA slots and listener questions to seed episodes — support these with short, frequent live slots inspired by the micro-meeting renaissance.
Create members-only channels (Discord, Telegram) for VIP interactions
Offer early access to tickets and meet-and-greets

Step 7 — Measure, iterate, and protect your brand

Track listen-through rates, conversion to paid tiers, and social engagement per clip
Adjust cadence and content mix based on retention cohorts
Ensure legal clearance for archive clips and music rights — and plan rights workflows alongside your PR/ops stack (PRTech considerations apply).

Risks and trade-offs: what Ant & Dec need to watch

No strategy is without risk. Here are the key trade-offs the pair — and any late-career creators — should mind.

Brand dilution: Too many formats can confuse core audiences. Keep a clear editorial spine.
Platform fragmentation: Spreading content everywhere reduces centralized first-party data unless you intentionally collect emails/IDs — consider wide distribution plus owned data capture rather than pure exclusivity.
Monetization complexity: Managing subscriptions, ads and ticketing requires operations scale and financial controls.
Audience mismatch: TV viewers don’t automatically become podcast subscribers. Expect conversion friction and plan onboarding content.

Why the simple ‘hang out’ format is a smart play

There’s a reason Ant & Dec’s audience told them to "just hang out." In 2026 listeners prize authenticity. After years of produced TV segments and promotional interviews, many viewers crave low-stakes conversation. That format allows the duo to:

Show unfiltered chemistry that drove their TV success
Create short, remixable moments for social platforms
Scale production cheaply — fewer overheads than documentary-style work
Build sustained, habitual listening by leaning into personality rather than one-off guests

What success looks like for Hanging Out

Given Ant & Dec’s reach, success won’t be judged by raw downloads alone. Instead, measure through a portfolio of indicators:

Membership conversion rates from viewers to paid members (Goalhanger’s model shows how lucrative a small conversion can be)
Engagement depth: minutes listened, repeat listens, and community interactions
Cross-platform lift: spikes in YouTube views, short-form trending moments, and growth in newsletter subscribers
Ancillary revenue: live show sellouts, merch sell-through, and brand partnerships aligned with their persona

Predictions for celebrity audio strategy through 2026 and beyond

Based on industry patterns and recent moves, here are three predictions shaping the next phase of celebrity audio:

Portfolio monetization wins: Companies and creators with multiple shows and formats will monetize fans better than one-off celebrity podcasts.
Subscription networks will scale: Expect more boutique networks like Goalhanger to hit high revenue thresholds, pushing talent to prefer alliance over single-platform exclusives.
AI-driven personalization: Platforms will offer personalized episode snippets and dynamic chaptering, increasing discoverability of older archives.

Actionable takeaways — what to do if you're planning a celebrity audio launch

Start with the audience: Ask fans what they want. Use polls, short clips, or social DMs to learn directly — like Ant & Dec did.
Design for repurposing: Plan episodes so you can extract 30–60 second clips that perform on TikTok and Reels.
Bundle offerings: Pair free episodes with a clear paid tier that delivers tangible perks.
Invest in community ops: Hire a community manager to convert listeners into engaged members.
Measure beyond downloads: Track conversion funnels, retention cohorts and revenue per listener. Use simple micro-apps for sign-ups and membership funnels (see a micro-app pattern).

Final verdict: Ant & Dec made a smart, modern move

The podcast itself — a simple hang-out show — is not revolutionary. What matters is the packaging: an owned digital entertainment channel that bundles archive content, short-form formats and a direct path to monetization. In 2026, that layered approach is how late-career celebrities turn attention into sustainable business. If Ant & Dec execute the community, membership and repurposing play, Hanging Out could be less a late arrival and more a masterclass in modern celebrity media strategy.

Want a ready-to-use checklist?

Download our Podcast Launch Checklist for TV Talent — a one-page, tactical guide with distribution templates, membership tier examples and clip-creation workflows. Perfect for managers, producers and the talent themselves.

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