Podcast advertising continued to grow through 2024, with the final quarter of the year finishing with a 19% increase in spending compared to the previous year, data from Magellan AI shows.
Additionally, spending rose 14% compared to the previous quarter, as marketers took advantage of large audiences in advance of the holiday spending season.
According to data compiled by Magellan AI, the top 10 podcast advertisers spent a projected $124 million during October, November, and December.
Amazon was the top podcast marketer, spending an estimated $22.2 million to earn the top spot. Activision, a leading video game publisher marketing its latest release from the Call of Duty franchise, spent $17.1 million to vault into second place on the top spenders list. BetterHelp, one of the largest and most reliable podcast advertisers, decreased its spending during the fourth quarter as it dropped to third on the list with $15.1 million in spending.
T-Mobil ($13.7 million) and Toyota ($10.2 million) rounded out the top five.
Despite the overall uptick in podcast advertising, four of the top 10 spenders actually decreased their buys with the medium during the final three-month stretch of the calendar year. Activision was joined by sports betting firm FanDuel as the only marketers inside the top 10 to increase their advertising with podcasting during the fourth quarter.
Magellan AI also shared metrics on how the advertisements were presented to listeners. During the fourth quarter, 41% of ads were 30 seconds. That was the most popular avenue for podcaster advertisers, as 16% were 60-seconds in length, while 11% of podcast ads were 15 seconds.
Among the other findings in Magellan’s quarterly update is that 41% of ads run during Q4 were 30 seconds, making that length the most popular pick among advertisers. Another 11% of ads were 15 seconds, while 16% were a minute in length. The majority of ads — 55% — were showcased as midrolls, while 29% were presented as pre-rolls, and 16% were featured after the conclusion of the podcast episode.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
