Blog: Four New Findings About Podcast Advertising

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, January 21, 2025 | 3:51pm CT

Cumulus Media and Westwood One

Cumulus Media and Westwood One's latest research compilation from the 2025 Audioscape, which draws on data from sources like Edison Research, MRI-Simmons, and Magellan AI, sheds new light on podcast advertising trends and audience behaviors.

Despite the growing popularity of podcasts, brands have not fully exploited this medium. The report suggests increasing podcast advertising, recommending that brands allocate 5% of their digital budgets to podcast ads to achieve significant reach. Analysis from Edison Podcast Metrics indicates that even advertising across the top 500 podcasts would miss one-fourth of the weekly podcast audience, underscoring the need for a more robust investment.

The median age of podcast listeners has shifted from 33-34 to 36 over the past five years, indicating an expanding appeal among older demographics. This evolution points to podcasts reaching a broader audience, with Edison's "Share of Ear" showing significant growth in daily podcast reach among older age groups.

Research from Screen Engine/ASI highlights that podcast listeners frequently use video streaming services, presenting a valuable opportunity for CTV advertisers to gain incremental reach. For instance, combining podcast listeners with Hulu's viewer base could nearly double the service's reach from 32% to 63% of U.S. adults.

The proportion of audio time listeners dedicate to podcasts has risen from 26% in 2016 to 35% today, reflecting the medium's increasing significance in the audio landscape.

These findings point to a need for brands to reconsider their media spending, recognizing podcasts not only as a growing audio platform but also as a strategic medium to enhance overall media reach and impact.