Fox Acquires Red Seat Ventures: Major Expansion into Conservative and True Crime Podcast Markets

RØDE Updates RØDECaster Video: Scene Audio and Enhanced Video Production Features Unveiled.

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👋 Hi, Podsky!

It is Tuesday , February 11, here in Australia, and today's edition is filled with news and insights.

I'd also like to thank the Podwires marketplace community for continuing to support the marketplace, giving podcast producers a platform to showcase their skills.

Today’s issue takes 5 minutes to read.

Let’s dive in - Miguel/Miko

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In today’s podwires:

• 🔥 Los Angeles Wildfire Relief Effort Raises $15M as iHeart LA, Dream Center Unite Communities

• 🚨 Podcast Insight: Podcasting's Untapped Advertising Potential: A $1.9B Market Reaching 140M Adults

• 🏆 Podcast News : RØDE Updates RØDECaster Video: Scene Audio and Enhanced Video Production Features Unveiled.

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🔥 Los Angeles Wildfire Relief Effort Raises $15M as iHeart LA, Dream Center Unite Communities

Image: Iheart Media

The Dream Centre and iHeart LA have started one of the biggest grassroots fundraising campaigns in iHeart's history, raising a significant amount of money for victims of the wildfire in Los Angeles.

The programme has processed more than 19,000 vehicles through their supply distribution line and provided basic supplies to more than 80,000 people. In addition to recruiting over 8,000 volunteers, the campaign has raised over $15 million in total cash and in-kind donations. The strong community response, which was orchestrated by the Dream Center's infrastructure and iHeart LA's broadcast network, has produced a very efficient distribution channel for necessities like clothing, food, water, and diapers.

The success of this project emphasises the critical role that community organisations and local media play in disaster response, with Paul Corvino, Division President of iHeart LA, highlighting the importance of broadcast radio in connecting those in need with willing helpers. The partnership between iHeartMedia Los Angeles and local volunteers has created a sustainable support system for ongoing relief efforts. ( Read More)

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🎙️Podcasting's Untapped Advertising Potential: A $1.9B Market Reaching 140M Adults

Image: Sounds Profitable

In a revealing analysis of the podcasting landscape, the industry demonstrates remarkable reach despite relatively modest advertising revenues. With 140 million adult listeners in the US alone—representing 53% of the 18+ population—podcasting's $1.9 billion advertising market in 2023 presents a striking contrast to other digital platforms. Most notably, the business podcast segment emerges as a particularly valuable niche, with 15% of podcast listeners actively seeking business content and demonstrating exceptional engagement levels of over 7 hours weekly listening time.

According to research conducted by Sounds Profitable in partnership with American Public Media, detailed in "The Podcast Landscape 2024," podcasting's advertising revenue positions it between Twitch and Reddit in market size. The study, authored by Tom Webster, a 25-year veteran audio researcher, draws from America's largest publicly-available podcast listening study, produced in collaboration with major industry players including NPR, ESPN Podcasts, Wondery, and SXM Media.

The Key Points:

• Podcasting reaches 140 million US adults monthly (53% of 18+ population) with just $1.9 billion in ad revenue

• 15% of podcast listeners specifically seek business content, with 78% of these being weekly listeners

• Business podcast listeners spend over 7 hours per week consuming content

• 56% of business podcast consumers favor corporate/brand-involved content

• Podcasting's reach surpasses many major social platforms despite lower ad revenue

Why It Matters:

This data reveals a significant opportunity gap in the podcasting industry. Despite reaching more people than many major social media platforms, podcasting's advertising revenue remains disproportionately low. This disparity suggests substantial untapped potential for advertisers and content creators, particularly in the business podcast segment where audiences are not just accepting of brand involvement but actively embrace it.

The Big Picture:

For podcasters and producers, these findings present both challenges and opportunities. The data suggests that while podcasting has massive reach and engaged audiences, especially in the business sector, the industry needs to address accessibility issues in advertising purchases to compete with platforms like Facebook. Podcasters can capitalize on this by:

1. Developing business-focused content that serves professional development goals

2. Creating partnerships with brands for integrated content, not just traditional advertising

3. Implementing more streamlined advertising solutions to attract larger marketing budgets

4. Focusing on quality business content that maintains the high engagement levels current listeners demonstrate

5. Leveraging the audience's positive perception of corporate involvement to create more branded content opportunities

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🎙️ PODCAST NEWS

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🌏 Podcast by numbers

⏭️ Podtrac's January 2025 Rankings Reveal Mixed Growth Patterns in US Podcast Publishing Landscape. January 2025 podcast industry metrics reveal a nuanced growth pattern across the digital audio landscape, with only twelve U.S. publishers showing increased Unique Monthly Audience gains and seventeen reporting higher download volumes, while five major Global Networks demonstrated positive trajectory in combined downloads, streams, and views - signaling a complex evolution in listener engagement patterns across international markets.

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📢 The Business of Podcasting

⏭️ ABC Audio Launches 'Start Here Weekend': Award-Winning News Podcast Expands to Radio Format in February 2025. ABC Audio is strategically expanding its award-winning daily news podcast "Start Here" into an hour-long weekend radio format for ABC News Radio affiliates, launching February 21, 2025, marking a significant evolution in the company's cross-platform content strategy and reflecting the show's consistent performance as ABC's third-most downloaded podcast with industry-leading listener retention rates.

⏭️ Fox Acquires Red Seat Ventures: Major Expansion into Conservative and True Crime Podcast Markets. Fox Corporation has strategically expanded its digital media footprint by acquiring Red Seat Ventures, a significant podcast network generating 200+ million monthly downloads across conservative and true crime content verticals.

⏭️ BBC Studios Partners with Banijay Asia: Major Entertainment Format Deal Transforms Indian TV Landscape. BBC Studios has formed a strategic partnership with Banijay Asia, giving the Mumbai-based company exclusive rights to adapt BBC's popular TV shows (like Dancing with the Stars and The Office) for Indian audiences, marking a significant shift in BBC's approach to the Indian entertainment market and potentially transforming how international content is localized for Indian viewers.

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🎧 From the Community

⏭️ On Air Fest 2025: Brooklyn's Premier Podcast Festival Returns with Bon Iver, Live Tapings, and Y2K-Inspired Lounges. Brooklyn's On Air Fest, launching February 19th, brings together podcast creators and enthusiasts for a three-day immersive festival featuring live tapings with artists like Bon Iver, a Y2K-inspired KCRW radio lounge, and interactive audio exhibitions, showcasing the evolving landscape of digital audio entertainment and storytelling.

⏭️ EarBuds Collective Highlights Mental Health and Social Justice Podcasts for Black History Month 2025 Amid Industry Expansion. EarBuds Collective, a growing podcast discovery platform, is celebrating Black History Month 2025 by featuring a curated collection of podcasts focused on mental health and social justice within the Black community, reflecting the podcast industry's expanding diversity initiatives and growing audience engagement with culturally relevant content.

⏭️ RØDE Updates RØDECaster Video: Scene Audio and Enhanced Video Production Features Unveiled. RØDE has significantly enhanced its flagship RØDECaster Video console with comprehensive workflow improvements, including Scene Audio integration, advanced transition controls, and expanded routing capabilities, positioning the device as an increasingly versatile solution in the rapidly expanding professional audio-visual production market where streamlined workflow solutions are becoming essential for content creators.

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