Podcast advertisers have continually increased spending in the medium. That, however, appears to have slowed in April.
What We Know: The top two podcast advertisers, Quince and BetterHelp, each dropped their spending, according to Magellan AI. T-Mbole, Meta, Amazon, and McDonald’s acted similarly. 10 of the top 15 placed the majority of their budget on sports podcasts. Four used comedy shows as their biggest. One, Meta, saw news as its highest. The company analyzes data from the top 3,000 podcasts in the U.S.
What the Numbers Show: The combined spend by the top advertisers was $60.8 million. Of those 15, six actually decreased their spending during the month. Those declines led to an overall dip spent by the top 15 marketers. Combined, the top 15 spenders declined 6.3% from the prior month. The combined companies spent just under $65 million in March.
Rank
Advertiser
April Spend
Spend Change
Top Genre
1
Quince
$6.1 million
▼
Comedy
2
BetterHelp
$5.3 million
▼
Sports
3
Shopify
$5.1 million
▲
Comedy
4
UnitedHealth Group
$4.9 million
▲
Sports
5
Public.com
$4.3 million
▲
Sports
6
FanDuel
$4.1 million
▲
Sports
7
T-Mobile
$3.9 million
▼
Comedy
8
Progressive
$3.8 million
▲
Sports
9
Meta
$3.6 million
▼
News
10
DraftKings
$3.6 million
▲
Sports
11
Amazon
$3.4 million
▼
Sports
12
Toyota
$3.4 million
▲
Sports
13
Verizon
$3.2 million
▲
Sports
14
SimpliSafe
$3.0 million
▲
Comedy
15
McDonald’s
$3.0 million
▼
Sports
What Remains Unclear: What, if anything, led to the downturn in spending. Quince decreased its spending by nearly $500,000. BetterHelp, the second highest spender, dropped it spending by nearly $700,000, Magellan AI data shows.
What It Means: The report from Magellan AI shows how strong the comedy and sports formats are for podcast advertisers. Despite the 6% slide from the top spenders, it doesn’t appear as if there’s cause for concern.
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Bob Bronson is retiring. The beloved 105.7 WROR morning personality officially signed off today after a remarkable broadcasting career spanning multiple decades.
What We Know: Beasley Media Group confirmed Bronson’s retirement from The ROR Morning Show on May 22, 2026. A New England native, Bronson began his radio career after serving in the U.S. Navy. He later attended Emerson College before building his Boston brand. His journey included stops in Raleigh, Manchester, and New York City — where he hosted the #1-rated morning show at 106.7 Lite FM — before returning to Boston in 2019.
What They Said: “Bob Bronson has been a trusted voice in morning radio for generations of listeners,” said Mary Menna, VP and Market Manager of Beasley Boston. Co-host Lauren Beckham Falcone added, “Bob is a talented broadcaster and friend who made every morning entertaining.” Meanwhile, Bronson himself reflected warmly: “I’ve been incredibly fortunate to spend my career doing something I truly love.”
What Remains Unclear: The show itself will continue. However, whether a replacement co-host will eventually join LBF and producer Aaron Natti remains unannounced. Listeners should expect continuity — at least for now.
What It Means: Bronson’s exit is part of a growing wave of veteran personalities stepping away from morning radio. Across the industry, long-tenured talent is transitioning out — reshaping the sound of local radio nationwide. Nevertheless, WROR appears well-positioned to weather the shift. As Program Director Scott Morello noted, LBF and Aaron will keep building on the strong foundation Bronson helped create.
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Penske Media Corporation is reportedly in talks to acquire several prominent media brands from Vox Media. The titles include Eater, The Verge, SB Nation, Popsugar, and The Dodo. Each are currently under discussion according to reporting from AdWeek.
What We Know: On Wednesday, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems purchased New York Magazine, the Vox Media Podcast Network, and Vox for $300 million. That deal prompted Vox CEO Jim Bankoff to split the company in two. Current Vox CRO Ryan Pauley will lead that yet-to-be-named company. After closingm he will join PMC. The remaining brands were left unsold. This creates an opening for PMC. Notably, PMC already holds a 20% stake in Vox Media from a $100 million investment made in 2023.
What They Said: In a letter Wednesday, Bankoff told staff: “While it hasn’t always been easy, our work has always been meaningful and essential. The media industry is at the forefront of technological, societal and economic change. We have always adapted and led the way, and I believe authoritative work from trusted brands and talent is more necessary than ever.”
What Remains Unclear: The reported deal’s price and structure is unknown. Furthermore, the agreement could still fall through entirely. This is strictly an all-or-nothing situation according to AdWeek — PMC takes all five brands or none of them. No timeline for a final decision is unknown.
What It Means: If finalized, the acquisition would significantly expand PMC’s already impressive portfolio. The five brands would join Rolling Stone, Billboard, Deadline, Variety, and others. Therefore, PMC would deepen its grip on digital media considerably. For the broader industry, this signals continued consolidation among legacy digital publishers navigating an increasingly difficult media landscape.
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The Prince of Darkness lives on — digitally. The Osbourne family is bringing Ozzyback through artificial intelligence.
What We Know: The Osbourne family partnered with tech company Hyperreal to build an AI-powered version of the late rock legend. Jack and Sharon Osbourne revealed the project at Licensing Expo 2026 in Las Vegas this week. Hyperreal previously created a similar AI avatar of Stan Lee for Los Angeles Comic Con. The digital Ozzy will replicate his voice, image, and movement.
What They Said: Sharon Osbourne made the vision crystal clear. “You can ask Ozzy anything, and he will answer you in his own voice,” she said. “We’re going to take it all around the world. People can talk to him and he will talk back.” Those words carry serious weight for millions of fans globally.
What Remains Unclear: Notably, specific launch dates and pricing remain unannounced. Furthermore, no details exist yet about which markets receive access first. The ethical conversation around AI recreations of deceased artists also continues to grow louder across the entertainment industry. Fans and critics alike will watch this rollout closely.
What It Means: Ozzy isn’t alone in this space. KISS, ABBA, Paul McCartney, and the Notorious B.I.G. have all entered the AI avatar world before him. The Osbourne family is simply taking a proven blueprint and making it global. The line between tribute and technology keeps getting thinner.
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Eddie Scozzare officially signed off as the longtime producer of morning drive at Audacy’s WFAN on Friday. The longtime producer wrapped up a 37-year career Friday morning in front of fans, colleagues, and cameras.
What We Know:WFAN celebrated Scozzare at Audacy’s annual Kick Off To Summer live broadcast in Belmar, NJ. The station gifted him a brand-new Ford Bronco, among other tributes. Additionally, longtime listeners showed up in person to thank him face to face. Meanwhile, social media was flooded with congratulatory messages following the broadcast and week of tributes from current and former WFAN staff. Many fans and colleagues across the industry flooded timelines with tributes honoring his remarkable run.
What They Said: WFAN morning host Boomer Esiason: “I just want to say on behalf of everybody at WFAN, and especially our show here this morning, Eddie, that we’re going to miss you. We love you.”
WFAN morning host Gregg Giannotti: “Of course, this is a tough day for us. But a happy day for all of us as well. None of us would be the employees and the people that we are today without you. That is a true statement, and that’s not bullcrap. I would not be standing here. I would not have had the success without the help that you gave me, and the guidance, and the friendship, and the colleague that you’ve been. They don’t hear this a lot when people retire. There will never be another you. There will never be anybody like it, and that’s what you have to take into your retirement. One of a kind, and an all-time great.”
What Remains Unclear: Still, no details have emerged publicly about Scozzare’s post-retirement plans. Beyond that, the full scope of the social media response continues to grow, with more tributes still rolling in across platforms into the early parts of the Memorial Day weekend.
What It Means: Scozzare’s exit marks the end of a defining era at one of sports radio’s most storied stations. Consequently, WFAN now faces the challenge of replacing not just a producer, but a culture-builder. Nevertheless, the send-off itself spoke volumes — a Ford Bronco, a shoreline crowd, and tears on live radio. That is not a goodbye. That is a legacy. Wishing Eddie nothing but the best in retirement.
Good luck to one of the great guys in our business. Eddie was always so easy to work with and a joy to be around. Best of health and happiness to THE Eddie Scozzare. https://t.co/st9MdlDmAv
Many of us including me owe the start of our career to Eddie.
I wasn’t some Syracuse or Fordham media graduate, I barely passed community college. I was more than happy just seeing WFAN for an internship Interview. But Eddie took the chance on me and so many others. THANK YOU! https://t.co/XyzgXDOJyL
Eddie changed so many lives at WFAN running the internship program and the newsroom. The best human. I’ll forever be grateful. #TheEddieScozzarehttps://t.co/miP8Nsg4nT
Although I didn’t start as an intern, Eddie always treated me like one of his guys. Advice, strategy, listening to a bit and offering criticism to make it funnier. Eddie was everyone’s big brother at WFAN. He’s an inspiration and a true legend in the business Thank you Eddie 🙏 https://t.co/rQM06lqPU1
It is fitting he loves dogs, as much like a dog, he can make you want to murder him but then five seconds later you feel incredibly guilty about it. https://t.co/nZZZLBtnm2
Eddie is a really good fellow. He looked out for me & always offered great advice during my internship at @WFAN660 & when I worked for the station in both Astoria & NYC. Wishing Eddie all the best in retirement! 🚩 https://t.co/qqldpRsU3S
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Audacy was one of the major players in the CBS News Radio network. As the network ends today, the company has shifted its stations to ABC News Radio.
What We Know: CBS News Radio ends on Friday evening after nearly 100 years. Many of the current Audacy news/talk and all-news stations were previously CBS Radio stations. However, many of the stations began airing ABC News newscasts on Thursday afternoon. WBBM was the first station to begin airing ABC News, doing so during the 1:00 PM CT hour on Thursday. Other stations like WCCO, KNX, and KCBS followed suit later in the day.
What’s At Stake: After picking up hundreds of affiliates after CBS News Radio‘s announcement, ABC News Radio has to be thrilled with the additions of the Audacy stations. Major brands like 1010 WINS, WBBM, 830 WCCO, KNX News, and KCBS, among others, provide major market access to the network.
What Remains Unclear: Which stations are still in need of launching the changes. An Audacy spokesperson confirmed to Barrett Media that all stations will be airing ABC News by Saturday morning. It is also unclear which Audacy stations, if any, will carry the final CBS News Radio broadcast at 11:30 PM ET on Friday evening.
What It Means: It’s the end of an era on many of the most venerable stations in the format. CBS News Radio was synonymous with many of the Audacy brands. With the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, it appears as if many of the stations began airing ABC News newscasts to ensure a smooth transition before hard-launching the switch on a holiday or weekend.
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WKKT Charlotte is reshuffling again. This marks the second major weekday lineup change at the iHeartMedia country station in 2026.
What We Know: Graham Bunnreturns to mornings, hosting “Graham in the Morning” from 6-10am. The move comes just four months after the station shifted him to middays. Sarah Lee Owensby transitions from mornings to the 10am-2pm slot. Eddie Foxx remains in afternoons, The Bobby Bones Show holds evenings, and Ashley Wilson adds a new 11pm music hour.
What They Said: Trevor Morini, iHeartMedia Charlotte and Raleigh’s SVP of Programming, addressed the changes directly. “Harnessing the power and influence of our locally established talent across multiple dayparts allows for greater community engagement and an enhanced listener experience,” he said.
What Remains Unclear: The rationale behind Bunn’s quick return to mornings hasn’t been publicly detailed. Additionally, it’s uncertain whether the original Sarah Lee and Graham morning partnership simply ran its course or underperformed. Bunn joined WKKT in April 2025, replacing the void left by Paul Schadt’s retirement after an impressive 27-year run.
What It Means: Two major lineup changes in six months reflect a station still finding its footing. iHeartMedia Charlotte appears increasingly focused on building local talent across key dayparts. Stability is clearly becoming a growing priority for the market. How this current configuration performs over time will be the real measure of success.
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60 Minutes has long been the most-watched news program. That continued during the 2025-2026 season.
What We Know: The most recent season of the show marked the 52nd consecutive season that 60 Minutes was the top news program. It was the 58th season of the program. The success comes after Tanya Simon replaced Bill Owens as Executive Producer of the program. Owens departed over clashes with management and ownership over editorial control over the program.
What the Numbers Show: The news magazine averaged 9.1 million viewers throughout the season. That marks a 9% increase compared to the 8.3 million it averaged last season. Additionally, the network saw a 5% increase in the key Adults 25-54 demographic compared to last season. Digitally, 60 Minutes saw 2.5 billion views across its major platforms. Views on TikTok rose 85% year-over-year.
What Remains Unclear: What changes will come to 60 Minutes. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi has alluded to her contract situation as stating it’s likely she won’t return to the show. Anderson Cooper, who spent 20 years working on the program, will not return. Reports have suggested that CBS News chief Bari Weiss is unhappy with the direction of the show and hopes for major changes.
What It Means: The power of the 60 Minutes brand is still on display. Despite the internal turmoil, including the widely publicized issues with the CECOT story, the show still performed well. Does a strong NFL lead-in help 60 Minutes during the early season? Undeniably. Has it been helped by the changes in Nielsen measurement? Probably. But it is clear it still has a dedicated and loyal audience.
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Thank you all for being here today. We gather to mourn the loss of a true giant. CBS News Radio, one of the most storied institutions in the history of American journalism, is gone.
It didn’t die with a bang. It faded, quietly, the victim of decisions made by people who never quite understood what they had. We’re here to honor what it was, grieve what’s been lost, and reckon honestly with how it happened.
Take a seat. This one deserves a proper goodbye.
Pull out whatever you’ve got — a handkerchief, a bar napkin, the sleeve of your sport coat. You’re going to need it. Because what we’re burying today isn’t just a radio network. It’s a standard-bearer for what broadcast journalism could be, and — at its best — what it was.
The Dash
On a gravestone, the numbers will read 1927 – 2026. But honestly, don’t focus on the numbers. The important thing in that etching is the dash. CBS News Radio had one hell of a dash.
This network pioneered the very idea of radio news. It literally changed the game during World War II — bringing the reality of war into American living rooms through voices that crackled with urgency and truth. It carried the nation through 9/11. CBS News Radio informed a frightened public through the early, uncertain fog of COVID-19. Through all of it, the mission never wavered. CBS News Radio existed to deliver the most accurate journalism possible, to as many people as possible.
The home of Murrow, Cronkite, Osgood, and Rather is no more. That’s a crying shame.
Think about what those names represent. Think about the standard they set. Those weren’t just broadcasters — they were the conscience of a nation, delivered through a speaker. And CBS News Radio was the house they built.
Death by Malpractice
Here’s the hard truth: CBS News Radio didn’t die of natural causes. It died of malpractice. A fundamental misunderstanding of its value — and its role in the greater media ecosystem — is what killed it.
Someone, somewhere, looked at a balance sheet and failed to see what wasn’t on it. They couldn’t quantify trust built over nearly a century. They couldn’t put a dollar figure on institutional credibility. So they treated CBS News Radio like overhead instead of infrastructure — and now it’s gone. The network didn’t bring in new subscribers, hoping to watch the next episode of Yellowstone or Big Brother.
Despite featuring a daily audience roughly the same size as an NFL broadcast, the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze. That should tell you all you need to know about the decision to end the outlet.
Like all deaths, it came too soon. It always does. No matter how long there is to process a loss like this, it’s still difficult to understand how something so venerable, so large, so important simply isn’t here anymore.
What Comes Next
I can’t help but think there will come a day — likely in the not-so-distant future — when those who had a hand in killing CBS News Radio feel at least a little bit of regret. Maybe not right away. Maybe not until the next major crisis hits, and the infrastructure that would’ve handled it with precision and poise simply doesn’t exist anymore. When the TV network could use a strong promotional lift that millions of people could provide. That’s when it’ll sting.
The radio industry loses something real when networks like this disappear. It’s not just about affiliates losing programming. It’s about the erosion of a shared standard. CBS News Radio represented a commitment to getting it right, to serving the public, to showing up every day with rigor and purpose. That’s harder to replace than a content deal.
So thank you for coming to the funeral today. Thank you for paying your respects to this once-great institution. Just because it’s gone doesn’t mean its legacy will diminish — not if we refuse to let it. The memories will remain. So will the spirit. The spirit of what CBS News Radio represented still lives in those who fight for accuracy over speed, truth over traffic, and for people over profits.
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Netflix has made no secret about it. The streaming giant wants live event content. Over the past several years, the company has invested in live events involving boxing, MMA, WWE, MLB, the NFL, and others. They even backed a production centered on a man climbing a skyscraper in Taiwan. Now, the company is entering a new content vertical: live radio programming.
Yesterday, Netflix and iHeartMedia expanded their current podcasting agreement by licensing the live video presentation of The Breakfast Club on Netflix beginning June 1. For Netflix, this marks its first venture into live weekday programming. For a company positioning itself heavily in the live event space while adding live weekday content to its platform, could Pat McAfee be next on Netflix’s target list?
Despite the headlines McAfee creates on and off the screen, his persona commands attention.
The former Colts punter has turned himself into one of sports media’s most dynamic and versatile personalities. He helped College GameDay transition away from Lee Corso and elevated WWE’s profile with ESPN. He has also curried favor with nearly every commissioner and athlete imaginable, making his program destination viewing that leagues and personalities battle to appear on.
When McAfee signed his agreement in 2023, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro called his show one of the most engaging programs in sports and all of media. He wasn’t wrong. Everything McAfee touches seems to draw more attention than almost anything else in sports. I recall speaking with ESPN NFL analyst Peter Schrager about the McAfee effect on sports.
“The genius of Pat McAfee is taking something that feels very serious, urgent, and newsworthy and making it fun,” said Schrager.
Connecting The Dots
McAfee’s contract with ESPN runs through 2028. That’s now less than two years away, with McAfee positioned to cash in again if he chooses. That’s why Netflix’s announcement involving The Breakfast Club feels like just the first step in what could become a larger pursuit of McAfee by the streaming giant.
A couple of factors are worth considering.
Netflix already has live event agreements with several companies. One of those companies is TKO Holdings, which owns WWE, UFC, and Zuffa Boxing, among others. Ari Emanuel serves as CEO of TKO Holdings and helped architect TKO’s agreement with Netflix for WWE Raw back in 2025.
It just so happens that Emanuel also represents McAfee as his agent. Put those pieces together, and you have yourself quite a story.
However, Netflix had not tested the live weekday programming model until now.
Benefits To Both?
McAfee signed with ESPN for a reported $85 million over five years. According to Yahoo Sports, the show generated one billion total social media views in September 2025 alone, while averaging 447,000 live viewers per episode. That represented an 18% year-over-year increase and pushed the show to its most-watched year on ESPN.
McAfee’s show is a juggernaut of content, attention, reach, and engagement that no other ESPN program comes close to matching. In 2025, ESPN President of Content Burke Magnus acknowledged that reality.
“Every commissioner wants to be on his show. Every athlete wants to be on the show. There’s a cool factor, a relevance factor. It’s fun and funny and entertaining. As we sit here today, I could not imagine our daytime schedule without his show,” said Magnus.
From the ThunderDome to Pittsburgh, @PatMcAfeeShow & the boys capped off a memorable month across ESPN & YouTube in April '26
Netflix’s announcement on Thursday may have just increased McAfee’s chances of departing ESPN when his agreement expires in 2028. But can ESPN retain McAfee’s services beyond that point?
It would be difficult to argue that ESPN’s budget could compete with Netflix’s financial power in a bidding war for McAfee and his program. Netflix could easily outbid ESPN and Disney while also making McAfee’s show more global in reach through the audience the platform commands.
Teaming with Netflix could also create additional opportunities for McAfee in Hollywood. With Netflix funding major motion picture productions, McAfee would almost certainly become a candidate for entertainment roles that ESPN simply cannot provide. Emanuel has even stated that he envisions McAfee as the next Sylvester Stallone. A move to Netflix would likely create more avenues for that vision to materialize.
Would McAfee’s guest list become more limited with a move to Netflix? Since the streaming platform already does business with MLB and the NFL, probably not. The likelihood of ESPN talent appearing at a moment’s notice could change. But it’s difficult to imagine personalities such as Adam Schefter or Shams Charania disappearing entirely from the program.
A move to Netflix could even strengthen McAfee’s relationship with WWE, one of his personal passions. Could there be more WWE content involving McAfee’s production company? Or perhaps an expanded role with TKO Holdings based on the business relationships McAfee has helped cultivate between ESPN and Netflix?
Can ESPN Retain McAfee?
Make no mistake, this may become the single biggest challenge facing new ESPN EVP, Executive Editor, Sports News and Entertainment Mike Foss during the early stages of his tenure. While Foss won’t be alone in any discussions with McAfee, his new role will certainly be heavily involved in it. Mike Foss has played a key role in overseeing The Pat McAfee Show since its ESPN debut nearly three years ago. By all accounts, Foss has built a strong working relationship with Pat McAfee. He has done so by trusting McAfee’s instincts, offering feedback, and helping navigate criticism and controversy.
Now that the contract has entered its final two-year window, the next several months could become very interesting for ESPN and Pat McAfee. If Netflix’s live arrangement with The Breakfast Club succeeds like its podcast partnership has, the streaming giant will almost certainly pursue more opportunities in the space.
There is no daily studio show or sports radio program that commands more attention than Pat McAfee’s platform. The connections involved are substantial enough that a move to Netflix makes legitimate sense for both McAfee and the company.
That’s why Netflix entering the live daily programming space matters so much.
The company is no longer simply chasing events. It is chasing habit-forming personalities that audiences build their days around. Pat McAfee checks every box. He delivers sports, entertainment, controversy, virality, and cultural relevance in one package. Exactly the type of talent streaming platforms covet as they continue redefining television.
Whether McAfee ultimately stays with ESPN or eventually jumps to Netflix, one thing already feels certain.
Thursday’s announcement involving The Breakfast Club was not just about adding another program to Netflix’s library. It was a test case for something much bigger. And if the experiment succeeds, don’t be surprised if the most important personality in sports media suddenly becomes the face of Netflix’s live daytime future.
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