History That Doesn't Suck!

What History That Doesn't Suck! does

History That Doesn't Suck! (HTDS) is a privately-held, Utah-based creator-economy podcast media company founded in 2017 by historian Greg Jackson. It produces a bi-weekly American history podcast that delivers a comprehensive, story-driven survey of U.S. history — from the French and Indian War through the Civil War era — using Chicago-style academic citations to combine scholarly rigor with entertainment. The company operates a secondary show, 'Office Hours with Greg,' which featured roundtable discussions and guest interviews but was discontinued in February 2020, with highlights retained on YouTube.

The company's core technology stack is standard podcast distribution: RSS feed syndication plus presence on YouTube, Apple Podcasts/iTunes, and Patreon for membership. The underlying intellectual asset is the content library — 50+ episodes organized across five volumes with published bibliography and primary source citations. Distribution is digital-only and global via self-serve podcast platforms, with no physical retail or paid acquisition layer.

The business model is a three-stream creator monetization: (1) recurring Patreon membership at undisclosed tier levels, which is the primary monetization channel; (2) podcast sponsorships, with the named sponsor being the University of California Irvine Department of Continuing Education; and (3) one-time merchandise sales via an online storefront processed through PayPal. The company has approximately 9 employees, is organized as an LLC in Utah, has no external funding or parent company, and is founder-controlled. The target audience is American history enthusiasts, with a secondary segment of history students and researchers seeking well-cited supplementary material.

Name

History That Doesn't Suck!

Legal name

History That Doesn't Suck!, LLC

Website

https://historythatdoesntsuck.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

History That Doesn't Suck! is a privately-held Utah-based podcast media company that produces a bi-weekly, academically cited American history podcast for history enthusiasts and students, monetized through Patreon membership, sponsorships, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Podcast Media

NAICS

Other Sound Recording Industries (51229)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers (MPACADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Audio Learning Content (Podcasts, Audiobooks, Listening Programs) (EDAGALAM), Podcast Hosting Platforms (RSS, Analytics, Distribution) (MPACADAA), Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)

Keywords

• American history podcast
• Educational podcasting
• History media content
• Storytelling history content
• Podcast creator economy

Headquarters

HQ city

Lehi

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Patreon Membership: Monthly subscription model where fans support the podcast at various tier levels in exchange for perks. The site describes it as 'a monthly gift at any tier and enjoy perks.'
2. Podcast Sponsorships: Sponsored by University of California Irvine Department of Continuing Education, who offers online courses and programs with a discount for HTDS listeners.
3. Online Store: Merchandise sales through the online store section of the website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

History That Doesn't Suck! produces and distributes a bi-weekly American history podcast delivering a seriously researched, story-driven survey of US history. It also produces a companion talk show ("Office Hours with Greg"), an online merchandise store, and a public bibliography resource. Content is distributed globally via YouTube, Apple Podcasts/iTunes, and RSS, with monetization through Patreon memberships, sponsorships, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

History That Doesn't Suck! operates as a podcast media company offering two primary products: the flagship History That Doesn't Suck (HTDS) bi-weekly podcast delivering entertaining, academically rigorous American history content, and the companion Office Hours with Greg show featuring discussions and guest interviews. The company also maintains an online merchandise store and a publicly accessible bibliography resource. The products are distributed through YouTube, Apple Music/iTunes, RSS feeds, and Patreon membership. The HTDS library contains 45+ episodes organized into five volumes, with the first episode covering the French and Indian War period.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Office Hours with Greg: A bi-weekly podcast/YouTube show featuring roundtable discussions about HTDS episodes and interviews with guests including academics, politicians, veterans, and others connected to history.

Products and services

• History That Doesn't Suck! (HTDS) podcast The flagship bi-weekly American history podcast delivering a seriously researched, hard-hitting survey of American history through entertaining stories. Episodes are approximately one hour, story-driven, and irreverently educational, covering topics from the American Revolution through the Civil War era and beyond. Aimed at history enthusiasts, students, and general listeners seeking rigorous yet engaging content.
• Office Hours with Greg A companion bi-weekly podcast/YouTube show featuring roundtable discussions about HTDS episodes and interviews with guests (academics, politicians, veterans, and others connected to history). Aimed at HTDS listeners seeking deeper conversations and supplementary historical commentary.
• HTDS Online Store (merchandise) Online merchandise store offering History That Doesn't Suck! branded products to podcast listeners and fans. Payment processing handled via PayPal. Aimed at the show's audience wanting branded merchandise.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• University of California Irvine Department of Continuing EducationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUC Irvine Department of Continuing Education sponsors the podcast, offering online courses and programs. HTDS promotes their services with a discount for listeners on their website. This is a sponsorship/marketing partnership where the sponsor reaches HTDS's audience of history enthusiasts.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Ben Franklin's World (Liz Covart): American history podcast hosted by a professional historian featuring interviews with scholars. Comparable in academic credibility, focus on early American history, and target audience of lifelong learners.
• Our American Stories: Narrative-driven American history and storytelling podcast with broad reach. Comparable in audience focus on American history content delivered through engaging, accessible storytelling.
• Our Fake History (Sebastian Major): Solo-hosted narrative history podcast that examines myths and historical events with an irreverent, accessible tone. Comparable in irreverent storytelling approach and entertainment-first positioning.
• Civics 101 (New Hampshire Public Radio): Educational history and civics podcast with a public media production model. Comparable in mission to make history accessible and engaging for general audiences through story-driven episodes.
• The History of Rome (Mike Duncan): Bi-weekly narrative history podcast covering a complete historical arc by a solo host. Directly comparable in cadence, storytelling approach, and audience demographic of history-curious adult learners.
• Tides of History (Patrick Wyman): Narrative history podcast hosted by a Ph.D. historian delivering deep-dive survey episodes. Closely comparable in academic credibility, format, and target audience of educated history enthusiasts.
• Hardcore History (Dan Carlin): Long-form narrative history podcast hosted by a solo creator with academic rigor. Directly comparable to HTDS in format, tone, and audience overlap, with a much larger audience and longer track record.

Broad incumbents

• Stuff You Missed in History Class (iHeart / HowStuffWorks): Long-running mainstream history podcast from a major media network. Comparable in entertaining approach to historical topics but operates at much larger scale with corporate backing and broader topic coverage.
• History Extra (Immediate Media): Major history media brand with podcasts, magazine, and digital content. Comparable in audience demographic of history enthusiasts but operates as a large media company with multiple content formats and revenue streams.
• BackStory (Virginia Humanities): Scholarly American history podcast from a university-affiliated institution. Comparable in academic credibility and American history focus but operates with institutional backing and multiple host format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HTDSpod
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQG2ZtIGmR_hw5fxrYPh6Dw
• Facebookfacebook.com/historythatdoesntsuck
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/history-that-doesnt-suck

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about History That Doesn't Suck!