Little Dot Studios’ History Hit is celebrating ten years in business. A decade since its first podcast was released to commemorate the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo (June 18, 2025), History Hit has transformed from a one-man audio experiment into a global history network spanning podcasts, original documentaries, social video, books, and a FAST channel.
Dan Snow, History Hit’s founder and creative director, left behind a career with the BBC to become became a pioneer creator – driven by a vision to “pivot to digital”. Initially launched with only social media accounts and a single podcast, the brand has gone on to become a multi-platform, self-commissioning powerhouse with nearly 10 million podcast listens per month, over 1,250 original documentaries, and more than 1.6 million YouTube subscribers.
“I remember the first time someone paid me just to talk about history online – it felt like a moment of emancipation,” said Snow. “We’re still riding that wave of excitement 10 years later.”
History Hit has just won two awards at the first ever TellyCast Digital Video Awards – for Best FAST Channel and Best Digital-First History Channel. History Hit also makes headlines with original investigative content, including uncovering the long-lost prayer book of Thomas Cromwell, the discovery of an Anglo-Saxon warriors’ cemetery, and the forgotten skeletons of the Battle of Waterloo. A standout achievement was the Endurance22 expedition, where the brand partnered with the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust to document their discovery of Shackleton’s ship.
Today History Hit operates eight podcast shows, including the flagship Dan Snow’s History Hit, covering everything from ancient civilisations and medieval power struggles to social history and true crime. Its SVOD platform, History Hit TV, launched in 2017 and now delivers a new original documentary every week. With content ranging from Roman archaeology to China’s Terracotta Warriors, History Hit has become a trusted destination streaming to 100+ countries.
The brand has also built an ecosystem of accessible, educational content. Its social video programming now draws more than 1 billion views annually, supported by a YouTube audience of over 1.6 million subscribers and 7 million monthly views. The brand’s FAST channel, launched in 2022, brings curated history content to viewers free across all major streaming platforms. Books, vertical video content, and short-form explainers continue to diversify History Hit’s reach and appeal. And Snow believes there is more growth to come: “We can all thrive. A rising tide lifts all boats. History is booming – and we’re just getting started.”
History Hit has grown rapidly thanks to Little Dot Studios’ expertise in digital distribution and platform strategy. The partnership has driven more than 2.5 million new social followers and enabled major content alliances with the likes of National Geographic, Channel 5 and Ubisoft. Along the way it has been a major player in redrawing the media landscape.
Pictured – History Hit collecting award at TellyCast Digital Video Awards
