Harker Bos Group’s latest whitepaper, “State of Media 2024,” shows sports podcasting is leading the way when it comes to how frequently listeners tune in. The study, which explores the dynamic landscape of media consumption in 2024, involved over 500 individuals age 18 and above.
The question was asked, “How often do you listen to the following podcast genres?” Sports finished at the top of the list with 39% saying they listened to sports podcasts frequently (defined as 3-5 days per week). News/politics was next at 37% while true crime, comedy, self-help, pop culture, science/tech and society/culture all finished over 30%.
The study notes that 43% of podcast listeners prefer audio-only formats, while 35% show interest in a hybrid audio-video experience. 34% said they listen to entire podcast episodes, while another 30% say they consume most of the content. According to the findings, 48% of podcast listeners believe the ideal length of a podcast should be 30-60 minutes, while 29% chose between 15-29 minutes.
Overall, the study showed 65% of media consumers listen to radio weekly, with most tuning in for 30 minutes to 1 hour, predominantly in the morning. Additionally, 51% of radio audiences listen to news/talk and 38% tune into sports.
84% of those who participated in the study said they use social media with Facebook coming in the top spot as far as frequency. 68% said they use Facebook 3-5 days per week. YouTube was next at 56% followed by Instagram at 40%.
A whopping 27% of respondents said they use social media from 4-8 hours per day. Another 14% said the answer was more than 8 hours.
