Sports podcasts continue to hold firm as the go-to environment for major podcast advertisers in May. New Podscribe data shows seven of the top ten spenders targeted sports as their primary genre in May.
What We Know: Combined spending among the top 10 rose 7.6% month-over-month to $31.2 million. At the forefront, Shopify led all advertisers at $5.2 million, with BetterHelp ranking second at $4.7 million as both brands continued to prioritize sports programming. At the same time, Red Bull posted the month’s most dramatic increase. The brand surged 503% to $2.9 million across more than 1,500 shows. Elsewhere, Amazon, Progressive Insurance, Toyota, and Wayfair also invested heavily in sports-targeted campaigns, highlighting the genre’s continued appeal among major marketers.
What The Numbers Show: (via Podscribe)
| Rank | Brand | Industry | Estimated Spend | 1 Mo. Change % | Advertiser Type | Top Show Genres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shopify | B2B | $5.2M | ↑6% | Shopify | Sports |
| 2 | BetterHelp | Mental Health | $4.8M | ↑32% | BetterHelp | Comedy |
| 3 | Quince | Retail | $4.1M | ↑10% | Quince | Society & Culture |
| 4 | Mint Mobile | Cell Phones | $3.8M | ↑6% | Mint Mobile | News |
| 5 | Red Bull | Drink | $2.9M | ↑459% | Red Bull | Sports |
| 6 | Amazon | E-Commerce | $2.4M | ↑25% | Amazon | Sports |
| 7 | Progressive Insurance | Financial Services | $2.2M | ↑103% | Progressive Insurance | Sports |
| 8 | Toyota | Cars | $2.1M | ↑75% | Toyota | Sports |
| 9 | PrizePicks | Gambling | $2.0M | ↑9% | PrizePicks | Sports |
| 10 | Wayfair | Home & Garden | $2.0M | ↑4% | Wayfair | Sports |
What Remains Unclear: Whether sports podcasts will maintain this dominance or improve on it heading into the second half of 2026 with large national sports events planned. It’s also unclear if non-sports genres can close the gap. BetterHelp favored comedy, Quince focused on society and culture, and Mint Mobile leaned into news — but none matched the scale sports delivered for competing advertisers.
What It Means: Sports podcasting continues to be the preferred proving ground for large-scale campaigns. The category’s reach, loyal audiences, and host-driven credibility make it an attractive fit across industries. Notably, the top 10 represented ten different sectors — from automotive and insurance to energy drinks and sports betting — yet most still gravitated toward sports.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
