ARN, the Australian media group which manages the iHeartPodcast Network on that continent, released listening numbers that could fairly describe a COVID success story.
The data come from Megaphone analysis in June. Here are the main bullet points:
- Podcast listening increased by 29% during mid-March through June, compared to january through mid-March.
- Entertainment and Lifestyle categories were up 12%.
- News: up 15%
- Business & Finance showed the biggest surge, rising 30% during the period.
ARN’s Head of Commercial Audio & Podcasts Corey Layton said, “Once again our podcast data is clearly showing the important role audio plays in our audience’s daily lives. Since March we have seen steady growth across Entertainment & Lifestyle and News categories as people balance their need to educate themselves with the latest information and entertain with light-hearted content. It’s also not surprising to see the increased popularity of Business & Finance content as Australians face new economic challenges and opportunities.