If you need a scorecard to tell the players, here it is:
- Stitcher is the podcast network, home of the Bill Simmons Podcast, Freakonomics Radio, My Favorite Murder, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, and about 250 more shows. The Stitcher app is one of the most-used podcast consumption points.
- Midroll Media is the sales subsidiary of Stitcher, driving the money through advertising. (Stitcher, in turn, is a subsidiary of the E.W. Scripps Company.)
- Whooshkaa is an Australian podcasting technology company, serving independent and enterprise clients, and offering ad technology like dynamic insertion.
- TPX (The Podcast Exchange) is a Canadian podcast advertising company which identifies uniquely Canadian advertising opportunities.
In these two deals Stitcher expands its addressable market to the vibrant podcast scenes in Australia and Canada. Advertisers in those regions can now place campaigns inside some of the most popular English-language podcasts in the world.
According to Edison Research, a quarter of all Australians (12-54 age group) listen to podcasts monthly. In Canada, 26% of the population listen monthly, according to The Canadian Podcast Listener study.
Stitcher’s self-described stats include 250-plus shows and more than 150-million downloads per month.
“Canada and Australia are both countries with a rich audio heritage and growing demand for top-tier spoken word content,” said Erik Diehn, CEO of Stitcher. “By working with TPX and Whooshkaa, Stitcher can tap into their unparalleled insights within their respective markets to continue to cultivate that listenership and give Australian and Canadian advertisers a better way to connect with highly engaged podcast audiences.”
Earlier this year, Stitcher partnered with Wondery to announce a European expansion. That venture is branded Podfront UK, and is led by ex-Audioboom executive Ruth Fitzsimons.