Before we get started, a quick update to Bryan Barletta’s article The Impact Spotify’s Video Has on Publishers. Since original publication, further clarification has been added to the section discussing how adding a video episode through Megaphone of Spotify for Creators can cause an entire podcast to be cached. If a podcast is not hosted on Megaphone or SfC, manually logging into either platform and uploading a single video episode does not trigger a caching of the entire show on Spotify.
Interview: Mike Wright and Jason Moore of The Fantasy Footballers
While in Chicago for Evolutions by Podcast Movement, I sat down with two of the hosts of the daily podcast The Fantasy Footballers, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year in addition to joining an exclusive distribution partnership with SiriusXM in January. Wright and Moore reflect on the strides podcasting has taken in ten years, from the early days of them sweating in an unconditioned room and cold-calling brands for sponsorships, to having a full team and interfacing with brands who both know what podcasting is, and why it’s worth investing in. They also speak to what makes sports podcasting uniquely entertaining, proposing that in a world where divisiveness is widespread, the friendly competition and camaraderie of sports is all the more important. Special thanks to SiriusXM for facilitating the interview.
Creators rethink revenue mix in anticipation of economic slump by Alexander Lee
In the shadow of new tariffs, both realized and delayed, content creators are shifting how they plan on earning money long-term. Twitch streamers and social media influencers tell Digiday they plan to shift away from pushing donations and subscriptions – which platforms take a cut of – and prioritize ad revenue and longer brand deals instead of flash-in-the-pan sponsorships. And, as Krystal Scanlon’s Digiday piece on tariff anxiety demonstrates, social media and digital mediums like podcasts are more likely to weather the storm of an uncertain economic climate.
IAB Podcast Upfront Moves Back to September
This year the Podcast Upfront is going back to its roots. Since 2021 the Podcast Upfront has taken place in May next to IAB NewFronts. This year it’s been scheduled for September 30th, moving the event back into the Fall like the first six years the Podcast Upfront existed. A representative tells Inside Audio Marketing the decision helps meet the scheduling needs and preferences of podcast producers and ad buyers. The Upfront has also been the venue through which an annual IAB Podcast Advertising report is debuted, though a 2025 edition has not been announced. It also is not clear who is participating in the September version of the Upfront.
Giggly Squad and the extremely parasocial world of “podcast girlies” by Kyndall Cunningham
An overview of how modern podcasts harness the medium’s ability to foster parasocial relationships with audiences. ‘Manosphere’ discussion podcasts tend to court young men looking for male role models offering self-improvement tips, while woman-focused chat shows like Giggly Squad or Call Her Daddy aim to emulate the feeling of frank conversations with friends. And, as the Fantasy Footballers hosts at the start discussed, a connected audience is a mobile one if leveraged appropriately.
Twice a week we highlight people working in the business of podcasting. Today’s edition features Christian Swain, CEO and President of Pantheon Media. He says a key moment in his career that shaped how he approached podcasting was when other podcasters expressed interest in joining Pantheon’s network before one existed, showing there was interest and the brand was more than a single podcast. When asked about who in the industry is doing interesting work right now, he shouts out Gigaverse for active podcast community management. Learn more about Swain in the full interview, available now on Sounds Profitable.
As for the rest of the news…
- Magellan AI has announced a strategic partnership with Canadian national broadcaster CBC to track cross-show listener behavior and measure promotional campaign performance with Magellan AI’s pod-to-pod attribution tech.
- Simplecast has a new blog detailing their recent integration with Headliner to allow all users the ability to create social video assets inside Simplecast.
- Acast has signed a new exclusive ad sales and distribution partnership with The Receipts Podcast.
- Podcast firm Kitcaster has been acquired by digital marketing agency Moburst, with intent to integrate into Moburst’s PR division Uproar.
- Deadline covers the announcement that Topic Studios is set to produce 200 East Main, a podcast investigating the case of Sean Williams.
