Radio broadcasters are discovering that podcasting can do more than extend the reach of their existing programming. It can bring in younger audiences who may never tune in to their radio stations, attract advertisers who might not otherwise buy local radio, and create entirely new businesses that no longer depend on driving listeners back to the broadcast signal.
For Hubbard Radio, that shift is already well underway. The company’s SKOR North podcast network, built around Minnesota sports teams, has become a standalone digital business with an audience that differs from the one served by traditional sports radio.
“We’re just building a digital audience. We’re not trying to get people to listen to the radio station anymore,” Hubbard VP of Digital Strategy Jeremy Sinon said during a podcasting panel at NAB Show New York on Wednesday (Oct. 21). “The podcast network is doing well on its own without that. We don’t need the radio side.”
Sinon said Hubbard’s experience illustrates how podcasting can
Sinon said Hubbard’s experience illustrates how podcasting can reach consumers who aren’t necessarily listening to local radio. Its Minnesota Vikings podcast “Purple Daily” now generates an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 combined audio and video plays per episode, and the program sometimes releases two or three episodes a day.
The audience also skews younger than traditional sports radio, with YouTube and podcast platforms introducing the program to consumers who might never encounter it on the AM or FM dial.
Cumulus Media is seeing similar opportunities, although its strategy more directly connects podcasting with its existing broadcast brand.
Paul Mason, the company’s Nashville-based Spoken Word Operations
Paul Mason, the company’s Nashville-based Spoken Word Operations Manager, said “The Install,” featuring NFL analyst Greg Cosell, has helped sports “104.5 The Zone” WGFX reach younger audiences while giving existing radio listeners another way to engage with the station.
“People are discovering ‘The Install’ on platforms like YouTube, thus discovering our brands,” Mason said. “They’re really helping each other grow.”
Turning Audiences Into Revenue
That growing digital audience is opening the door to new advertising products and revenue streams, some familiar to broadcasters and others that go well beyond traditional spot sales. Hubbard uses a combination of host-read endorsements, dynamically inserted advertising and video sponsorship opportunities. Sinon said baked-in host endorsements are particularly valuable because they reach audiences whether they are listening through a podcast app or watching on YouTube.
The video component also allows advertisers to incorporate
The video component also allows advertisers to incorporate product footage and other visuals into endorsements, creating opportunities that audio-only advertising cannot provide. Bonneville VP of Podcasting Sheryl Worsley also emphasized the importance of programmatic advertising, particularly when direct sales cannot fill all available inventory.
But broadcasters are also looking beyond advertising.
Bonneville has launched a subscription-based “Insider Club” tied to the latest season of its investigative podcast “Cold.” Subscribers receive bonus material, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and opportunities to interact with host Dave Cawley. Subscribers receive bonus material, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and opportunities to interact with host Dave Cawley. “We’re a month in, but it’s looking pretty positive,” Worsley said.
Cumulus has found another revenue stream through live events built around “The Install.” Mason said its annual post-NFL-draft event features Cosell and co-host Buck Rising breaking down Tennessee Titans draft selections, with participation from the team’s general manager. The ticketed event sells out quickly and attracts sponsors.
Yet traditional ads remain the biggest revenuerd has
Yet traditional ads remain the biggest revenuerd has discovered that sports series are particularly attractive because they can generate advertising from both local businesses and national agencies. “It’s a great double dip that you can monetize on both ends of it,” he said
During the NAB discussion, moderated by ART19/Amazon Ads Head of Partnerships and Strategy Andy Slater, panelists agreed YouTube has become too important to ignore. But the panelists cautioned that broadcasters need to balance its audience-building power against the economics of distributing content on a platform they don’t control.
“YouTube is a blessing and a curse,” Sinon said. “It’s a blessing in that it is the single most best discovery engine in the world.”
He explained that podcasts distributed through RSS feeds
He explained that podcasts distributed through RSS feeds allow publishers to control their advertising inventory, sell it directly and retain the revenue. YouTube, by contrast, controls the advertising system and determines how revenue is shared with creators. “You have to be careful about not being too heavily weighted for YouTube because it ultimately can hurt your business model,” Sinon said.
For Hubbard, the decision to embrace YouTube helped transform “Purple Daily” from a relatively modest podcast into a major digital franchise. Sinon said the show’s audience growth accelerated sharply when the company committed to the video platform.
For Bonneville, the challenge is especially complicated because its investigative podcasts are built around long-form audio storytelling. Worsley said producing full video versions of those programs would essentially mean making documentaries, an expensive proposition.
Instead, Bonneville records interviews on video, produces clips
Instead, Bonneville records interviews on video, produces clips for social media and YouTube Shorts, and sometimes staggers the release of full episodes across audio and video platforms.
“We’re trying to play the YouTube game without losing all of the audio money that we might get when we launch something,” Worsley said. The company sometimes releases an entire series in audio while initially making only a few episodes available on YouTube, adding the remaining video content later.
Worsley said the strategy appears to be working, although the company continues to refine its approach. What is no longer in question, she suggested, is whether podcast publishers need a YouTube presence. “You need to be on YouTube in order to get discovered,” she said.
