Podcast Advertising Is Booming. Radio Can Get a Bigger Piece

Podcast advertising continues to surge. Brands like BetterHelp, Amazon, Toyota, and Shopify are spending millions of dollars across the top 100 podcasts. Yet, many of those same advertisers do not have a consistent presence in local, national, or network radio.

This crossover is growing, but there is still tremendous upside for radio to reclaim and expand its share of this investment.

Top 15 Podcast Advertisers – Magellan AI (September 2025)

This chart highlights the strength of national brands that are betting big on podcasting, many of which also have a natural fit within radio’s reach and audience profile. It is a reminder that these dollars are already flowing into audio. The question is how much more of that spend can move into radio’s ecosystem, where proven results and scale already exist.

The Listening Gap Inside Radio

In dozens of conversations with programmers and sales leaders, a surprising pattern emerges: many do not listen to podcasts regularly. Without that firsthand experience, it’s easy to underestimate how much advertising actually runs within a typical show.

A 45-minute podcast often includes six to ten ads, mixed between pre-rolls, mid-rolls, and post-rolls. Some are baked in as live host reads, others are dynamically inserted. Regardless of the format, the volume and tone of these messages demonstrate how comfortable listeners have become hearing from brands in an intimate audio setting.

The Power of the Host

Our national research from ThePodcastStudy.com underscores what drives listener engagement: trust in the host. Listeners overwhelmingly say that who delivers the message matters more than what the message is.

Hosts create emotional connection, familiarity, and authenticity, the same traits that have always fueled radio’s success. In our data, over half of podcast listeners say they have taken an action based on a host’s recommendation.

For radio, this is a powerful reminder: the most effective sales tool is already on the air. By giving hosts a more active voice in advertiser messaging, radio can match or surpass podcast effectiveness with an advantage that podcasts cannot replicate: reach and frequency across large markets..

Digital Engagement: Social and Email Work Better Together

Host involvement should not stop at the microphone. Social media and email are extensions of the same personality and connection. When station talent posts on behalf of advertisers, engagement spikes dramatically. Followers see it as genuine, not transactional. The same effect occurs when a host’s name appears in an email subject line—open rates climb significantly, sometimes 30 percent higher than generic station messages.

By blending these two tools, stations can create ongoing campaigns that keep audiences connected between on-air moments. A host’s post, email, or short video reinforces the relationship and builds trust for both the show and the advertiser.

What Can Air Talent Do?

This opportunity does not belong to management alone. Air talent can take the lead in understanding how podcasts are connecting with audiences and brands.

• Start by investing a small amount of time each week listening to podcasts that serve the same type of audience you do.

• Take notes on what stands out.

• Bring those insights to a sales manager or AE you work well with.

• Identify clients you can pursue!

Many of the biggest wins in radio start with a creative spark from talent who understand their audience best.

By bridging what you hear in podcasting with the reach and community power of your station, you position yourself as both an entertainer and a marketer. That combination is what advertisers are investing in across every audio platform today.

By empowering hosts to play a larger role in digital content, events, and creative marketing partnerships, radio can reinforce its leadership in audio marketing. It’s not about competing with podcasts, it’s about showing advertisers that radio can deliver everything they love about podcasts—plus reach, consistency, and local connection.

The talent, the trust, and the infrastructure are already in place. It is time for radio to make its move.

Contact info: Tim Bronsil: tim@ptpmarketing.com, 513.702.5072