Podcast Networks

Podcasting was nearly non-existent five years ago. Most were hobbies. It became valuable when companies realized podcasts were more intimate than other media. Listeners wear earbuds for hours hearing the same voice consistently, feeling they know the host. That intimacy is more valuable to advertisers than ignored banner ads. Host read ads are trusted. Spotify, Apple and Amazon needed podcasts to keep people in ecosystems. They acquired networks. Spotify bought gimlet and anchor for over a billion. Apple made deals. Amazon bought Wondery. Joe Rogan changed everything. His podcast had over 200 million downloads monthly.