Source: www.insideradio.com, January 2023

While double-digit podcast listener growth is a thing of the past, advertising will continue to see double-digit increases to $2.2 billion (+31.8%) in 2023 and nearing $2.6 billion by 2024 (+34.2%).

Podcasting now has mainstream appeal and with its core listening base established, eMarketer’s Insider Intelligence says podcast listening in the U.S. increased by 5% in 2022. Listener growth had been in the double-digits for years as consumers adapted to on-demand audio content. Penetration is highest in North America, reaching 40.8% in 2022 and rising to 46.3% by 2026.

U.S. podcast ad spending will rise from $1.3 billion in 2021 to $1.7 billion in 2022 on its way to $2.2 billion in 2023, according to an April forecast by Insider Intelligence.

“2022 was a fraught year for advertising, with historic channels like TV losing their throne, digital addressability falling to shambles, and regulation upending regular business,” the eMarketer article read. “But podcasting (and audio channels like radio) remained relatively safe bets for advertisers during a tricky time.”

The report reveals that consumers aged 25-34 make up the largest podcast listener demographic, however listenership among the 18-24-year-old cell falls off steeply and drops even lower for 12-17-year-olds.