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What Ant & Dec’s Podcast Launch Teaches Legacy Talent About Digital Firsts

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2026-01-31

10 min read

Ant & Dec's 'Hanging Out' shows how legacy stars can go digital—distribution, timing, audience migration, and format strategy for 2026.

Why legacy creators are stuck—and how Ant & Dec just handed a playbook

If you’re an established presenter or creator frustrated by inconsistent digital results, team friction, or uncertainty about which platforms deserve investment, you’re not alone. Legacy talent faces a familiar problem in 2026: decades of audience goodwill, but no repeatable, modern playbook to turn that goodwill into sustainable digital growth.

Enter Ant & Dec’s new podcast, Hanging Out, and their Belta Box entertainment channel. Launched in January 2026, it’s more than another celebrity podcast—it's a case study in how legacy talent can migrate audiences, choose formats, and distribute content without reinventing the wheel.

"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, January 2026

Executive summary: What matters first

Most important takeaways up front:

Distribution first: Ant & Dec bundled the podcast into a multi-platform channel (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook) for maximal reach and repurposing potential.
Audience-led format: They asked fans and launched a simple "hang out" format—low friction, high authenticity.
Timing & momentum: Launching in 2026 is not "late"—it’s strategic when paired with cross-promo and archive clips to drive discovery.
Repurposing is revenue: Short clips, classic TV highlights, and social-first creative staples drive reach and feed platform funnels.

Why Ant & Dec’s move matters in 2026

Late 2025 and early 2026 marked two important trends for creators: continued growth in long-form audio consumption, and a maturation of short-form distribution systems that make cross-platform repurposing more efficient. Podcast discovery has benefited from smarter recommendations (including generative AI assistants), and platforms now heavily favor creators who publish both full episodes and short-form hooks.

For legacy talent, that environment removes the stigma of being "late to podcasting." With established brands, the missing piece is a modern distribution and product playbook—precisely what Ant & Dec are testing with Belta Box and Hanging Out.

Distribution playbook: how they layer channels (and how you should too)

Ant & Dec didn’t put all their content in one place. They launched a central destination (Belta Box) and plumbed it into platform-level channels. That’s the blueprint for legacy talent in 2026.

1. Primary channels: where the full product lives

Podcast hosts + YouTube are non-negotiable. For legacy talent, use a podcast host that supports distribution and analytics (Acast, Megaphone, or Transistor) and upload a full video episode to YouTube. Video-podcasts get algorithmic lift and extended watch-time from YouTube’s recommendation system.

2. Short-form funnels: the discovery razor

Create 5–15 short clips per episode for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. These are discovery engines that drive listeners back to the full episode.

3. Owned channels: convert, don’t just rely on algorithms

Use email newsletters, an embedded player on your official site, and a community (Discord/Telegram) as the primary audience migration paths. Ant & Dec’s archive clips and announcements on Belta Box create an owned experience—crucial when platform algorithms change.

4. TV-to-digital bridges

Legacy talent can convert linear viewers by placing promos in TV spots, using existing TV credits, and releasing curated "best-of" clips that link to the podcast. Ant & Dec’s library of classic TV content is a conversion multiplier.

Audience migration: practical tactics that work

Moving a TV audience to a digital channel is not automatic. Here are the stepwise tactics Ant & Dec’s launch models—and how you should adapt them.

Step 1 — Signal intent and invite participation

Before launch, ask your audience what they want (Ant & Dec did this). That creates buy-in and produces formats your audience already wants. Use polls on social, short-form interviews, and call-outs during TV appearances.

Step 2 — Low-friction entry points

Offer micro-episodes or clips that don’t ask for much attention. Audiences are more likely to convert if the first interaction is 60–90 seconds of compelling content.

Step 3 — Cross-promote in existing channels

Embed podcast players on your site, promote episodes during broadcasts, and pin launch clips across social. Where possible, use TV airtime to run CTAs to the digital channel—this is high-impact because it leverages existing trust.

Step 4 — Capture contact data early

Don’t let discovery be the end. Use newsletter sign-ups, SMS opt-ins, and community invites as the primary migration tools. Even a modest email capture rate dramatically increases retention and lifetime value.

Step 5 — Reward the first followers

Offer exclusive content, early Q&A access, or live hangout events for founding subscribers. These incentives turn first listeners into evangelists.

Format choices: keep it simple, keep it authentic

Ant & Dec chose a straightforward format: friends "hanging out"—conversational, unscripted, and audience-responsive. That simplicity is deliberate and powerful. Legacy talent should pick formats that leverage existing strengths, not chase novelty.

High-leverage formats for legacy talent

Hangout / Conversation: Low production cost; high authenticity. Works when the hosts' personalities are the product.
Archive + Reaction: Curate classic clips, react to them, and add storytelling. Leverages TV library asset value.
Companion Series: Behind-the-scenes for current TV shows—keeps fans engaged between episodes.
Listener Q&A / Mailbag: Drives fan engagement and creates shareable moments.
Mini-documentary / Serialized Storytelling: Requires more resources but can attract new audiences through narrative discovery.

Choose one primary format and 1–2 secondary formats to rotate. Ant & Dec’s choice of a hangout-style podcast is a model—low friction, authentic, and easy to repurpose into short clips.

Production & ops: build a 2026-ready stack

Legacy talent often trip over operations. Your stack must support fast repurposing, reliable hosting, and quality analytics.

Recommended tools (2026)

Remote recording: Riverside.fm or similar services for synced audio+video.
Editing & repurposing: Descript for edits and AI transcripts; Headliner/Pictory for short clips and captions.
Hosting & monetization: Acast, Megaphone, or Transistor for distribution + dynamic ad insertion.
Analytics: Chartable and Podsights for attribution; use your host’s dashboard for downloads and retention metrics.
Transcription & SEO: AssemblyAI or Otter for fast, searchable transcripts.

Tip: Automate clip creation. Use AI-assisted tools to generate 10–15 short assets from each episode and publish them on a scheduled funnel. If you need a minimal setup, consider building a conversion-focused home studio—see our review of tiny at-home studios for creators.

Monetization options that scale for legacy talent

Ant & Dec can monetize in ways most creators can’t—sponsorships, branded segments, premium episodes. But smaller legacy creators can follow a similar funnel.

Sponsors & dynamic ads: Use host-read spots and programmatic insertion. Legacy hosts command premium CPMs for brand alignment.
Subscriptions & memberships: Offer ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, or early access via your host or platforms (e.g., Spotify Subscriptions, Supercast) and direct channels (Patreon, your own paywall).
Merch & live events: Turn popular segments into ticketed live shows or exclusive merch drops. For equipment and event logistics, check compact on-location kits and budget streaming options like the budget sound & streaming kits field guides.
Archive licensing: Monetize TV archive clips by repackaging them in themed compilations or licensing to other outlets.

Metrics that matter: focus on conversion and long-term value

Downloads alone aren’t enough. For legacy talent migrating audiences, track these:

Discovery-to-listen conversion: % of short-clip viewers that play the full episode.
Listener retention: % continuing past minute 5 and minute 20.
Owned-channel conversion: Email/SMS signups per 1k listeners.
Monetization ARPU: Average revenue per user from ads, subscriptions, live events, and merch.
Engagement lift: Social shares, community growth, and direct messages (indications of fandom).

Risks and how Ant & Dec mitigate them

Legacy talent faces three primary risks: audience fragmentation, brand dilution, and operational cost. Ant & Dec address these with a focused format, multi-platform distribution, and repurposing of existing assets.

Audience fragmentation: Mitigate by prioritizing owned channels—email lists, an official site, and feature-first content that drives back to your home base.

Brand dilution: Choose formats aligned to your brand. Ant & Dec’s hangout format reinforces their established persona—familiar, friendly, and comedic.

Operational cost: Keep the initial setup lean. Start with an MVP—one weekly episode + automated clip pipeline—and scale production only after you measure growth. For workflow automation and review of small-agency tools that help with repeatable pipelines, see our review of PRTech Platform X.

Checklist for legacy talent launching a podcast and digital channel (actionable)

Use this step-by-step checklist adapted from the Ant & Dec approach:

Survey your existing audience—social polls, TV promos, and focus groups.
Define the primary format (hangout, archive react, companion series).
Pick a podcast host with analytics and monetization features.
Set up a YouTube channel for full episodes and a short-form pipeline.
Build an automated repurposing workflow (Descript + Headliner-style tools).
Launch with 3–4 episodes and a backlog of short clips for the first month.
Drive migration from TV and social with clear CTAs and email capture incentives.
Measure conversion metrics and refine your content cadence after 6–8 weeks.
Introduce monetization once you hit repeatable engagement thresholds (e.g., 10k MAU or stable retention metrics).

Future predictions: what this launch signals for 2026 and beyond

Ant & Dec aren’t only publishing a podcast—they’re demonstrating the modern rulebook for legacy talent in 2026. Expect these developments over the next 24 months:

More legacy-first channels: Other TV personalities will launch branded channels combining archives, podcasts, and short-form snippets.
AI-native workflows: Automated clipping, transcript SEO, and generative episode summaries will make repurposing faster and cheaper. For on-device AI and generative task performance at the edge, see our benchmarking note on the AI HAT+ 2.
Platform-neutral monetization: Creators will prioritize direct revenue (subscriptions, email commerce) over single-platform reliance.
Discovery via AI assistants: Generative assistants will surface podcast segments as answers, increasing the value of searchable transcripts and precise metadata.

Case in point: why 'late' is sometimes strategic

Industry narratives often label moves like Ant & Dec’s as "late to the party." That misses the point. Timing matters when it supports a better product and more efficient distribution. In 2026, platforms and tools have matured—so launching later can mean launching smarter.

Ant & Dec benefit from:

Clear brand recognition that reduces discovery friction.
An archive of TV moments to repurpose.
An audience willing to follow them into new formats if invited correctly.

Final checklist: 5 immediate moves you can implement today

Run a one-question poll across your channels: "If we did a podcast, what would you want?" Use answers to pick a launch format.
Record a pilot hangout episode and convert it into 10 short clips—publish them across YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels.
Add an email capture to your site and promote a "first-listen" exclusive for subscribers.
Prepare a two-season roadmap: 12 episodes per season with a clear monetization trigger at season 2.
Set up analytics to track discovery-to-listen conversion and owned-channel conversion rates.

Conclusion: the playbook for moving from legacy to digital-first

Ant & Dec’s Hanging Out illustrates a repeatable formula for legacy talent in 2026: pick an audience-led, authentic format; build a multi-platform distribution funnel; own the audience through email and community; and repurpose content relentlessly.

For established brands, being "late" isn’t the problem—poor product-market fit and weak distribution are. Follow the layered approach Ant & Dec modeled, and you can convert TV audiences into sustainable digital fans.

Call to action

Ready to build your own digital-first channel? Start with a two-week pilot: record a single hangout episode, create a short-clip funnel, and capture emails. If you want a plug-and-play checklist and template pack modeled on Ant & Dec’s launch, sign up for our Distribution & Growth Playbook for Legacy Creators—fully updated for 2026. Click below to get the toolkit and a 30-minute strategy audit.

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Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.