News brief
Global expands Plus with podcast subscriptions for six flagship shows
Global has added six of its biggest podcast brands, including James O'Brien and My Therapist Ghosted Me, to its Plus subscription tier on Global Player and YouTube, priced from £2.99 a month for ad-free listening and £4.99 with exclusive content.
By Source: Advanced Television (Global announcement) · Published · Announcement date
Global, the UK media group behind LBC, Capital and Heart, has expanded its Plus subscription offering to podcasts, adding six of its biggest podcast brands to the paid tier on Global Player and YouTube, the company announced on October 26, 2026. The six shows are James O'Brien, My Therapist Ghosted Me, The Crime Agents, The Sports Agents, The Wittering Whitehalls, and Vogue & Amber.
Subscriptions start at £2.99 a month (£29.99 a year) for ad-free episodes, and £4.99 a month (£49.99 a year) for ad-free episodes plus exclusive content. A single James O'Brien subscription unlocks ad-free Full Disclosure, James O'Brien Daily, The Whole Show and Mystery Hour, plus two subscriber-only series, Ask James Anything and James Reacts, and two exclusive newsletters a month. The Crime Agents Plus opens with a monthly deep dive into the Lucy Letby case. The podcast tier joins existing Plus offerings including Nick Abbot – The Whole Show and Up To Speed.
Group CEO Simon Pitts said the expansion gives audiences more choice to enjoy Global's biggest podcast brands with exclusive content and new experiences, on Global Player and YouTube. Craig Hunter, Managing Director of Global Studios, described the show subscriptions as a members' club model, with listener questions put directly to presenters, members-only Q&As and behind-the-scenes newsletters. Global said more of its chart-topping podcasts will join Plus soon.
WHY IT MATTERS: a top-tier UK network is moving its flagship podcasts behind a priced subscription sold through its own player and YouTube at the same time, bundling ad-free episodes with exclusive series and newsletters. It is a concrete template for subscription monetization beyond Apple and Spotify channel subscriptions, and it treats the newsletter as part of the paid retention bundle rather than a free extra.
Announcement date: October 26, 2026.
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