Spotify Forges Video Podcast Distribution Deals
Things kicked off Tuesday with the news that Netflix and Spotify had entered into a distribution partnership. With the new deal, select Spotify Studios and The Ringer video podcast episodes will be made available on Netflix in early 2026. The initial batch includes sports, culture, lifestyle, and true crime podcasts from the two studios, with the plan being to add more podcasts from other genres and studios to Netflix over time. A quote from Lauren Smith, Netflix VP of Content Licensing and Programming Strategy:
“As video podcasts continue to grow in popularity, our partnership with Spotify allows us to bring full video versions of these top shows to both Netflix and Spotify audiences. From pop culture and lifestyle to true crime and sports, this curated selection of video podcasts adds fresh voices and new perspectives to Netflix, making our entertainment lineup more exciting than ever.”
Then on Thursday, Spotify video podcasts appeared on another streaming platform. Spotify has launched its first Free Ad-Supported TV channel (FAST) exclusively on Samsung TV Plus. While the Netflix deal includes both The Ringer and Spotify Studios content, this FAST channel is programmed with a curated selection of the top podcasts inside Bill Simmons’ The Ringer network (including hits like The Rewatchables and The Ringer-Verse).
Discussing Collaboration with LiveRead.io and Companion
Bryan Barletta returns to deep-dive conversations with industry professionals in a new video featuring two companies. The conversation brings together LiveRead.io President Ilyas Frenkel, Director of Operations at Companion Arts Shawya Mogharabi, and Companion General Manager AJ Feliciano. The group discusses how LiveRead.io came to be, how Frenkel first approached Companion, and what the service has done to open up valuable bandwidth as operations folks like Mogharabi have time-intensive tasks taken off their plate.
What Happens When College Students Critique AI-Generated Podcasts by Steven Goldstein
In his Business of Podcasting course at NYU, Goldstein invited Tom Webster as a guest lecturer on the day the class discussed AI podcasts. Each student selected a fully AI-generated podcast from a catalog of around 450 Inception Point AI shows. While podcasts that deliver matter-of-fact information tended to score higher on a 1-5 scale than AI “hosts” trying to emulate conversational tone, students said they’d rather read factual information themselves rather than listen to an AI read a Wikipedia page. A quote from Goldstein:
“Tom, ever the researcher, pressed the group with a question: if the information is correct and useful, does it matter that it’s AI? Most said it does. Podcasts, they explained, are a human medium. They tune in for the voices, quirks, laughter, and even tangents.
As one student put it: ‘I listen to podcasts for the personality of the person — that’s what makes me care.’”
Many were prompted for a synthetic experience just from the tell-tale signs of generated artwork used for the podcasts themselves. A core theme throughout the discussion is that of the emotional core of podcasting. Simple information, even if 100% correct, does not an engaging AI podcast make. The students seek connection with another person when choosing podcasts as a medium. For an AI podcast to work, it has a much better chance of being chosen if it is fully transparent about its generated nature instead of attempting to hide that fact. Facts are facts, but it’s the humanity of podcast host voices and their lived experience that keeps audiences coming back.
How To Advertise To Advertisers At Ad Industry Events (Like Advertising Week) by Victoria McNally
Advertisers are advertising to advertisers, especially during Advertising Week New York, which acted as a microcosm of targeting. McNally reports nearly every digital OOH screen in bus stops, subway stations, and digital billboards in the Penn Station area were running ads meant specifically for those working in the advertising industry, not the millions of others streaming by on a usual NYC day. A quote from McNally:
“Most of the companies that AdExchanger spoke with about their ads for ads during Advertising Week were dipping their toe into digital out-of-home for the very first time, hoping to capture the attention of the 20,000 people that Advertising Week estimates were in attendance.”
Usually B2B business ads focus on social and highly-targeted CTV spots, but events like AWNY serve as reminders that there’s plenty of other ways to get your brand in front of the right person. To which I humbly suggest B2B podcasts are an evergreen example.
Quick Hits:
- Owl & Co. takes a look at Netflix’s Q2 Steaming and Social Earnings report. As of last Friday the Enterprise Value stands at $542 billion, about $1,650 per subscriber, according to Q3 estimates of 317 million subscribers.
- Market and survey research firm SSRS has announced the acquisition of Edison Research, with specific interest in boosting SSRS’ public opinion, election polling, and audience research.
- The Roost and Muck Media have launched a new conversation podcast dubbed The Hidden Third with Mariana Van Zeller.
- Amplitude Media Partners have entered an exclusive partnership with Big Technology Podcast, opening up host-read advertisements on the show.
- Daylight Media, a new venture from the team behind QCODE, has signed a strategic partnership with Shawn Ryan for ad sales, distribution, audience development, IP expansion, and overall marketing of The Shawn Ryan Show.
