The news podcast space continues to be one of the top genres. But new data shows how different that realm is compared to cable news.
Data from Sounds Profitable shows that the average age of news podcast consumers is 47, which is close to the average of the 18+ population.
That pales in comparison to the average age of cable news audiences, as MSNBC’s average is 70, Fox News is at 69, and CNN is at 67 years old.
“The fact that news consumers can balance daily news podcasts (crucial for developing a podcast habit) with weekly, long-form analysis and commentary podcasts that they trust cements podcast very firmly into the lives of these consumers in a very unique way,” said Sounds Profitable partner Tom Webster.
The overwhelming majority of news podcast consumers are over the age of 35, however. 35% of those who are regular consumers of the genre are in the 35-54 demographic. An additional 38% are aged 55+. 27% of listeners come from the 18-34 demo.
The format benefits from social dynamics, as 73% say they receive recommendations from their social circle, compared to 51% of non-news podcast listeners. An additional 83% say they’re likely to at least sample a recommended podcast to them by someone they know.
“This isn’t just marginally higher – it’s dramatically higher than non-news podcast listeners,” said Webster. “News podcast consumers aren’t passive – they’re active evangelists who drive discovery through word-of-mouth,” said Webster. “This word-of-mouth factor can’t be overstated.”
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