Good morning to all in the Big Apple for Advertising Week New York! A reminder that there is a plethora of podcasting events scheduled inside AWNY, as well as YMH Studios’ takeover of New York Comedy Club on Wednesday, done in collaboration with RedCircle, Podscribe, and Sounds Profitable.
Will the ‘SmartLess’ Podcast Be the Biggest Role of Their Careers? by Sridhar Pappu
SmartLess, hosted by celebrity friend trio Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett, started as a pandemic project, which has now become a massive force in podcasting, punctuated with a reportedly $100 million + value distribution and advertising deal with SiriusXM Media. This piece from the New York Times charts the evolution of the three hosts’ friendship from the early 2000s through the creation of SmartLess
Presidential Hopefuls Hit Podcast Circuit (Multiple Sources)
Speaking of SmartLess: yesterday Deadline covered the then-upcoming episode featuring Democrat vice presidential candidate/Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Presidential candidates have been doing the podcasting circuit lately, with former president Donald Trump appearing on Theo Vonn’s show, as well as dropping by Lex Fridman. Similarly, Kamala Harris has been on a media blitz, appearing on 60 Minutes, The Howard Stern Show, and as the internet was surprised to find: Call Her Daddy. Both Variety and The Information have coverage of her appearance on Alex Cooper’s flagship show.
Just Add Audio: The Data Behind Audio’s Impact on Your Campaigns
SiriusXM Media has published a new study titled Just Add Audio, a study focused on the utility of having audio in a marketing mix. Key findings include internal data showing peak hours for audio consumption for respondents aged 18-54 line up with peak hours for shopping, errands, and dining. Audio’s power as a companion medium means music and spoken word are present with audiences while they’re actively making purchase decisions.
Spain is a key market for podcast listening (Source in Spanish)
Recently Spotify held their Next in Podcast event in collaboration with PRISA Audio, a live event in Spain that brought together prominent Spanish podcasters, production companies, and industry experts for panels and roundtable discussions of the industry. According to new Spotify data, one in three Spotify users in Spain already listen to podcasts, and podcasts created in Spain have increased their audience 40% year-over-year.
Wondery’s move into physical merch is spearheaded with Wondery Kids’ Wow in the World-branded STEM-focused toys and science kits from manufacturers Thames & Kosmos, as well as Goliath. In addition, Wondery has produced new episodes of kids podcasts to be physically distributed for the Tonies audio storybox toy. The physical merch push comes three years after Wondery onboarded Nicole Blake, who aided in developing the merch empire for Harry Potter at Warner Bros. Among wider plans for Wondery to pursue “Hollywood-style” franchising of audio properties, Blake said the company is planning more live events tied to their stable of kid-focused audio.
As for the rest of the news…
- The Radcast Network has announced its fall podcast lineup, including new shows Build Your Business: From Fear to Freedom by Barbell Logic and Wake Up & Read the Labels by Jen Smiley
- Wondercraft announces VoicePresets, a new tool featuring AI voice imprints
- BlueWire is partnering with NFL content hub The 33rd Team to build a new football podcast programming block
- Podcast series Foretold from the LA Times has won the New America Award from SJP
- The Financial Times explores how CEOs are using podcasts as PR arms
- Podcast platform PodcastOne has brought on Jim Lally as Head of Business Development
- CrimeHouse has launched its newest series, Mind of a Serial Killer, powered by PAVE Studios.
