NOVA Entertainment is ramping up its presence in the podcast space, announcing a new partnership with global platform Acast.

Cathy O’Connor, CEO at NOVA Entertainment, made the announcement to advertising partners just before international pop star Ed Sheeran graced the stage at Sydney Opera House last night for the radio network’s Red Room event.

“This is a terrific technology platform. It is global best practice in podcasting, and we expect to be bringing new opportunities to the market through a really exciting and emerging platform,” she said.

The partnership will see NOVA become a launch partner for Acast in Australia, offering a portfolio of podcasts including show content as well as original productions in non-radio categories currently in development.

NOVA will also launch Podquest to provide opportunities for new and emerging audio content creators through grants of financial assistance and access to the radio network’s production facilities.

Furthermore, NOVA will also provide advertisers with the opportunity to commission native content within podcasts.

O’Connor also thanked NOVA’s “brave” client and agency partners for “buying into the risk that’s involved in being creative”.

“In a radio market that’s grown 2.5 per cent over the last seven years, we’ve experienced a compound annual growth rate of revenue of 8.5 per cent, and an EBITDA of 21 per cent,” she said.

“Such strong, sustained growth can’t be achieved in isolation. Many of you in the room are client and agency partners – you’re brave. You actually give us the access to the right people, which give us the information that allows us to come up with great campaigns.”

“My commitment to you is that we will continue to invest in the team that we have that allows us to deliver on being creative.”