The Golden Age of Podcasting Is Just Beginning by Tom Webster
A MarTechSeries guest article from Tom Webster details how, despite doom-and-gloom headlines, podcasting’s ‘golden age’ isn’t winding down. Recent layoffs are more industry adjustment towards sustainability than they are signs of impending collapse. Podcasting’s core audience continues to grow, the medium offers a uniquely leaned-in audience, and they’re receptive to advertising from their favorite personalities. For example, Sound You Can See found 87% of video podcast watchers marked they liked or didn’t mind host-read ads in the shows they consume, but had very negative opinions of third-party ads inserted into the content by YouTube. [Source]
Acast ‘on track’ to full-year profitability in 2024 by Ella Sagar
The company’s Q1 earnings call (full report available here) posted double-digit organic growth in the first four months of 2024. Acast’s 23% organic net sales growth is largely attributed to 48% growth in North America. Europe and other markets brought in 16% and 20% growth respectively. CEO Ross Adams anticipates Acast is on track to have a positive EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) for 2024 overall. [Source]
Marketers turn optimistic about advertising budgets despite economy fears
The sixth annual Marketing Report from Nielsen finds 72% of 2,000 global marketers surveyed expect bigger advertising budgets this year, an increase from 64% in 2023. On a local scale, Australian brands are less likely to be spending big, as 2024 adspend is down 6% year-over-year. Analysts anticipate a lift in digital channels and TV once the Paris Olympics arrive in July. [Source]
Nickelodeon unveils an all-new preschool podcast slate by Jeremy Dickson
This month Nickelodeon is launching three new original podcasts produced by Paramount Audio and renewing an existing series. The new preschool-focused slate of podcasts complement Nickelodeon’s stable of podcasts targeting older kids, like their Avatar: The Last Airbender companion podcast and the Audible-produced Are You Afraid of the Dark audio drama. Kids & Family continues to grow as a genre and companies like Paramount are taking notice. [Source]
You Didn’t See Nothin’ Wins Pulitzer Prize
The 2024 Pulitzer Prize announcement has been posted and the winner of the Audio Reporting category is the staff of Invisible Institute and USG audio for their series You Didn’t See Nothin’, an investigative podcast about a Chicago hate crime from 1997. This is the fifth Pulitzer taken home by an investigative journalism podcast since the Audio Reporting category was introduced in 2019. [Source]
…as for the rest of the news:
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Podscribe to host a free webinar on Wednesday the 15th that aims to demystify pixel-based attribution in podcast advertising.
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The Good Tape has an open call for article pitches for ‘The Celebrity Issue.’ Pitches are due by May 31st.
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Signal Hill Insights’ Paul Riismandel writes on measuring the different shades of branded integration in podcasts.
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ARN’s iHeart has announced an Australia ad sales partnership with digital sports publisher The Atlantic.
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Blue Wire grows its podcast network with new athlete-lead shows from personalities like Cam Newton and Lou Williams.
