YouTube is creating new opportunities for radio broadcasters to expand podcast audiences, but the platform’s growing role in podcast discovery also raises questions about advertising control, production costs and revenue. At NAB Show New York, executives from Bonneville, Hubbard Radio and Cumulus Media discussed how they are incorporating video into podcast strategies while protecting the economics of their audio businesses.
Radio broadcasters are increasingly incorporating YouTube into their podcast distribution strategies, seeking new audiences while weighing the potential costs of relying on a platform that controls much of the advertising environment. Executives from Bonneville, Hubbard Radio and Cumulus Media discussed the opportunities and challenges during a panel at NAB Show New York on Wednesday (Oct. 21).
“You cannot play this game if you’re not on video. You need to be on YouTube in order to get discovered,” Bonneville VP of Podcasting Sheryl Worsley said.
Worsley described a shift in podcast consumption over
Worsley described a shift in podcast consumption over the past several years, with Spotify gaining ground on Apple Podcasts before YouTube emerged as a major destination. She said consumers increasingly make little distinction between traditional audio podcasts and video programming, creating pressure on publishers to consider both formats.
“The audience doesn’t know the difference, and that’s what matters. You’ve got to be there,” she said.
Hubbard Radio VP of Digital Strategy Jeremy Sinon said YouTube can help broadcasters reach younger consumers and extend their programming beyond established radio audiences. The platform’s search capabilities also offer another route for listeners to discover shows outside traditional podcast apps.
It’s the second biggest search engine
“It’s the second biggest search engine in the world outside of Google,” Sinon said. “People just go to YouTube and they search for the things they’re interested in, and they find your content — so in that way, you have to be there if you want to be discovered.”
Hubbard has seen audience growth follow a greater commitment to the platform. Sinon said the company’s Minnesota Vikings podcast “Purple Daily” began growing much faster after YouTube became a central part of its distribution strategy.
“When we finally embraced YouTube and went all in on YouTube, we really started to see kind of the hockey stick effect on the growth,” he said.
Cumulus Media is also using YouTube to expand
Cumulus Media is also using YouTube to expand the reach of its sports programming. In Nashville, Spoken Word Operations Manager Paul Mason said the platform has helped sports “104.5 The Zone” WGFX introduce its NFL analysis podcast “The Install,” featuring Greg Cosell, to new audiences.
“It’s helped us with discoverability,” Mason said. “It’s helped get into new places and expose the brand.”
The Price of YouTube’s Reach
Audience growth, however, does not automatically translate into stronger advertising economics. For broadcasters accustomed to selling their own podcast inventory, YouTube introduces a different business model that can limit control over monetization.
“YouTube is a blessing and a curse at the same time,” Sinon said.
Traditional podcast distribution through open RSS feeds allows
Traditional podcast distribution through open RSS feeds allows publishers to control their advertising inventory, sell directly to advertisers and retain the resulting revenue. YouTube, by contrast, controls advertising placement and determines how revenue is shared with creators, giving broadcasters less direct control over the inventory and its monetization.
That creates a strategic challenge for radio groups: How can they use YouTube to attract listeners without sacrificing the advertising revenue and flexibility associated with their own distribution channels?
Hubbard is addressing the issue by developing advertising strategies that work across audio and video. Sinon said host-read endorsements recorded directly into podcast episodes are particularly valuable because they remain part of the content whether consumers listen through a podcast app or watch on YouTube.
Video can also give advertisers additional sponsorship opportunities
Video can also give advertisers additional sponsorship opportunities. Hosts can incorporate product footage and other visuals into endorsements, adding promotional elements that are not available in an audio-only execution.
At the same time, dynamically inserted advertising remains an important revenues greater control over its inventory. Maintaining that distribution channel gives the company an alternative to relying exclusively on YouTube’s advertising model
The challenge for broadcasters is to determine whether incremental reach and new sponsorship opportunities can offset production expenses and the potential loss of advertising control. The answer may differ by program, audience and advertiser, making a single distribution strategy difficult to apply across an entire podcast portfolio.
Bonneville Tests a Hybrid Video Strategy
Bonneville faces a different set of considerations because
Bonneville faces a different set of considerations because some of its podcasts depend on long-form investigative storytelling rather than studio conversations that can be recorded easily on video.
Worsley said creating complete video versions of productions such as “Cold” would essentially require making documentary films, an expense the company cannot justify for every episode. A video strategy that works for a sports talk show may not make economic sense for an investigative series that requires extensive reporting, archival material and production.
Instead, Bonneville is testing ways to use video for discovery and promotion without committing to full video production for every release. The company records many interviews on video, allowing producers to create clips for YouTube and social media. Those excerpts can introduce potential listeners to a story while limiting the cost of producing a complete visual version.
Bonneville is also experimenting with staggered releases
Bonneville is also experimenting with staggered releases. Worsley said the company sometimes makes an entire podcast series available through audio platforms while initially posting only selected episodes to YouTube. Additional episodes are added to the video platform later.
The approach is intended to balance the promotional value of YouTube against the revenue Bonneville can generate when a series launches through audio distribution.
“We’re trying to play the YouTube game without losing all of the audio money that we might get when we launch something,” she said.
Worsley said the strategy appears to be working
Worsley said the strategy appears to be working so far, although Bonneville continues to evaluate the results and refine its approach.
For radio broadcasters, the broader question is not simply whether to put podcasts on YouTube. It is how to use the platform selectively, measure the audience and advertising benefits, and preserve the value of the content and distribution channels they already control. YouTube may offer another route to growth, but broadcasters must determine whether the economics justify the investment and how much of their business they are willing to place in the hands of an outside platform.
