America: A History, the go to American history podcast for curious minds and anyone fascinated by the people and events that shaped the United States, today announces from the 19th of January 2026, the show will officially be rebranded as America: The Story of the USA, reflecting its growing ambition to become a comprehensive, accessible educational platform for understanding the United States past, present, and future.
Alongside the rebrand, the project has confirmed a minimum two-year partnership with the British Association for American Studies (BAAS), marking a significant collaboration between one of the UK’s leading academic organisations and one of its most popular American history podcasts, unlocking new opportunities and helping to scale up the brand.
Hosted by Liam Heffernan and produced by the Mercury Podcast Network, America: A History has built a reputation as the only show that consistently connects historical scholarship with contemporary American life. Each week, the podcast brings together world-leading academics, historians, journalists, and experts to answer a single, focused question about America’s past. Previous guests have included John Sopel, Gary Younge, and Heather Thompson.
As part of this next phase, America: The Story of the USA will pivot from a podcast into a multiplatform educational brand, designed to serve students, teachers, and lifelong learners around the world.
New content launches include:
- A weekly newsletter, publishing every Thursday, highlighting recent podcast episodes alongside exclusive opinion pieces and articles from the show’s growing community
- A new Patreon channel, featuring exclusive preview episodes, weekly reflections, and bonus content
From Monday 19 January, the podcast will move to an expanded structured weekly release schedule:
Mondays: Weekly preview episode (Patreon only)
Tuesdays: America: The Story of the USA – The flagship weekly episodes will continue to explore a specific question from America’s past with world-renowned academics, experts, and special guests.
Wednesdays: Weekly reflection (Patreon only)
Thursdays: America: In the Making – Previously an occasional bonus episode, this will become a regular weekly current-affairs show every Thursday, breaking down the biggest US headlines through historical context.
Fridays: America: Study Notes – Short, five-minute explainers released every Friday, designed for students and anyone seeking a clear, accessible introduction to key themes in US history and politics, essentially “cue cards in podcast form”.
Speaking about the rebrand and partnership, host Liam Heffernan said:
“This podcast started entirely as a labour of love between myself and the incredible faculty at UEA who taught me American Studies many years ago. But in the last two and a half years, a lot has changed and when the present day is so important, I knew we needed to become more than just a history podcast. Pivoting to a multiplatform educational brand is the natural next step, and I’m delighted that BAAS are supporting us on this journey as we build America: The Story of the USA into the number one educational show in the world.”
Dr Michael Collins, FRSA – Chair of the British Association for American Studies adds:
“The British Association for American Studies are thrilled to be partnering with America: The Story of the USA to help bring greater understanding, nuance, and expert knowledge to the public conversation about the history and culture of our fascinating cousins across the pond. This collaboration will be an important educational resource and archive of this crucial moment in U.S. culture and history, mixing deep dives and long views with more immediate (and crucially, informed) perspectives on news and current events. It will help cut through the popular noise of cheap “takes” by marrying the right topics with the right commentators.”