Echoverse podcast network launches with Whalerock funding and plans to extend into TV/film

We received a notice that Lloyd Braun’s Whalerock Industries has founded a new podcast network: Echoverse, which will be devoted to science fiction, supernatural, and fantasy programming. No podcasts are live yet, but nine are planned. CEO Mark Stern has a deep background in TV and film. Accordingly, Echoverse will serve as both a podcast network and an incubator of extensible content for film and TV. Click through for details. Continue Reading

IAB Podcast Upfront: Schedule and speakers released

In the first online-only version of the annual IAB Podcast Upfront, the virtual format is allowing a greatly expanded version of the event. The 2020 edition of this podcast showcase to advertisers expands from one day to three days. While past years have spotlighted 12 podcast networks at most, this year will feature 20. The speaker list is loaded with celebrities. Click through for details. Continue Reading

Bob Pittman on podcasting, ubiquity, paywalling (Q2 earnings)

In last week’s iHeartMedia (IHRT) earnings call, CEO Bob Pittman discussed podcast strategy, podcast strategy, and podcast strategy. And a bit of radio. The financials included the entire business, and the COVID effect. But the go-forward mission leans heavily into on-demand audio, both as a stand-alone advertising business, and a synergistic opportunity with the largest array of commercial radio stations in the U.S. Click through for quotes. Continue Reading

Entercom’s “fundamental transformation,” podcasting, film, and company definition

In Entercom’s Q2 earnings call on August 7, CEO David Field held forth with a considerable portion of his opening remarks focused on digital audio and cross-category business in the U.S.’s second-largest commercial radio group. In fact, “radio” is subsumed in Field’s broad definition of Entercom: “Entercom is now a scaled media and entertainment company.” Continue Reading

Edison Research releases Top 30 U.S. Podcasts

Edison Research has released a public version of its subscription product Podcast Consumer Tracker (PCT). The PCT is intended to rank podcasts by reach, while most rankers use downloads as the determining factor of their lists. The time period represented in today’s release is Q3 2019 through Q2 2020. No dark horse surprises here; click through for the whole top-30 list. Continue Reading

Jeff Umbro: What Does Podcast Attribution Mean? A Deep Dive with Podsights’​ Sarah Cotenoff

by Jeff Umbro

In this week’s column, Podglomerate CEO Jeff Umbro dives deep into the podcast attribution technology, featuring an interview with Sarah Cotenoff from Podsights. Additionally, making up for going dark last week, this newsletter is packed with news and commentary. A must-read. Continue Reading

“Hidden Brain” podcast moves to Midroll Media for exclusive repping

The Hidden Brain podcast, hosted by Shankar Vedantam, has moved its ad representation exclusively to Midroll Media, the ad sales division of Stitcher. (Stitcher has recently been acquired by SiriusXM, from E.W. Scripps, in a deal which will close by Q3). Alongside this deal, Hidden Brain will be produced independently by Hidden Brain Media, starting October 1. The podcast will continue to be distributed by NPR. It’s a chart success — click through to see its placements.
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Podcast to capture 20% ad market share; reach $1B+ in 2021 — eMarketer

In eMarketer’s latest projection of ad revenue to podcasting, the market research company forecasts two headline points: 1) Podcasting ad revenue will surpass $1-billion in 2021, and 2) Podcast ad revenue will capture 20% of digital radio ad spending in 2020. Click through for a chart and the company’s forecast of programmatic ad buying in podcasting. Continue Reading