According to the seventh annual Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) US Podcast Advertising Revenue report, podcasting continues to be one of the fastest-growing digital channels, growing two times faster than digital advertising overall. The report quantifies annual podcast advertising revenues generated over the past year, analyzes revenue share by ad category and content genre, and forecasts future revenues through 2025.
The study found that Sports, Society & Culture, and Comedy are now the top revenue-generating content genres, taking the lead from News and Political Opinion content. In-person sports, lifestyle events, and in-store shopping have come back in a big way, taking the lead from news which held the top revenue genre spot since 2018. Podcasting revenue naturally reflects that shift in consumer behavior, and it will be interesting to watch how the balance changes going forward.
Niche podcasts also enjoy increased success, as smaller categories like Advocacy, Education, and Home Improvement collectively drive 28% of all revenues.
“It’s clear now that the growth of podcasting was not just a temporary shift in behavior,” said IAB CEO David Cohen. “The diversity of voices and content — often targeting underserved audiences — is driving more listenership and more time spent, and that is attracting more advertisers.”
