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Podcast publishers expand into video to boost growth as advertising investment gains remain slow

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1 year ago

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Podcast

Global podcast ad spend will exceed $5bn in 2025 (+7.9%) and $5.5bn in 2026 (+6.5%)
Video podcast consumption is growing. YouTube is the most popular platform
Podcast audiences are more receptive to ads
The US is the world’s largest podcast ad market at $2.4bn

WARC Global Advertising Trends: Podcast media sets sights on video boom

12 February 2025 – Podcasts are growing in cultural and political influence, but growth in podcast advertising spend remains slow. Publishers and platforms are looking to address this by expanding beyond audio, with a greater focus on creators and video content, according to WARC Media’s latest Global Ad Trends report, ‘Podcast media sets sights on video boom’.

Alex Brownsell, Head of Content, WARC Media, says: “Podcasts are having a moment. Fresh from seemingly helping Donald Trump to win last year’s ‘podcast election’ in the US, brands are reappraising the medium through fresh eyes.

“However, ad investment growth remains sluggish, with podcasters trapped in a contest for a slow-growing pool of global audio ad budgets. Publishers and platforms are now eyeing expansion into video, in the hope of further boosting consumption, as well as winning a share of a fast-growing slice of the ad market.”

WARC’s latest Global Ad Trends report ‘Podcast media sets sights on video boom’ highlights the following trends:

Podcast advertising spend growth remains slow

For all its burgeoning cultural impact, podcasts remain caught in a battle to win share of audio ad dollars.

WARC Media forecasts that global podcast ad spend reached $4.8bn in 2024, will exceed $5bn in 2025, and amount to $5.5bn in 2026. However, year-on-year growth is set to slow from 13.2% in 2024 to 7.9% in 2025, and only 6.5% in 2026.

This is markedly down on the expanding investment levels in other emerging channels, including retail media (+14.8% in 2025), CTV (+15.4%) and even DOOH (+14.9%).

Difficulties in scaling podcast ad buys is one oft-repeated complaint among brands. Another is a perceived deficiency in podcast measurement tools.

However, according to WARC’s annual Marketer’s Toolkit survey, more than half of global marketers (55%) plan to increase their podcast ad investment this year. Podcasts ranked fifth highest in intention to invest – behind only online video, influencer/creator marketing, and social media.

Global podcast listenership is growing and remains diverse

The total global audience reach of podcasts has increased from 60.6% in 2020 to 66% in 2025.

Edison Research estimates that 135 million listen in the US each month, equivalent to 47% of all consumers aged 12+. In the UK, Ofcom found the percentage listening to podcasts on a weekly basis has doubled from 10.8% in 2018 to 20.7% last year.

On average, younger cohorts spend more time on podcasts each day than older groups. As of Q2 2024, podcasts’ reach among Gen Z audiences worldwide (68%) exceeds radio by ten percentage points.

In markets like the UAE and Brazil, podcast listenership among all adults has exceeded radio, whereas countries like Germany and China exhibit subdued and downward trends, according to WARC Media and GWI data.

Podcast publishers are aiming to drive growth through video

YouTube has emerged as the most popular platform for podcast video. Viewers watched over 400 million hours of podcasts per month on YouTube’s TV app in 2024. More than 250 million users have streamed a video podcast on Spotify, with consumption most prevalent among Gen Z users: in the first five months of 2024, the younger cohort watched 2.9 billion minutes of video podcast content, up 58% year-on-year. Spotify found a +55% lift in intent for campaigns with an audio and video takeover versus audio-only campaigns.

As brands become more sophisticated in how they incorporate creator content into media plans, it may provide an opportunity for podcast media to escape its audio bubble. However, obstacles include consumers wanting to minimise video and listen to audio only, podcast creators unwilling to embrace video and lose control over monetisation, and perceived deficiency in podcast measurement tools.

The US is the world’s largest podcast advertising market

The US – home to mega-shows such as The Joe Rogan Experience – accounts for nearly half (45.9%) of all global podcast ad spend.

Recent research by WARC and Audacy found that, while podcast listening accounts for 4.5% of all ad-supported US media consumption, the channel only receives 1.0% of total US ad investment ($2.4bn in 2025).

Retail continues to be the category with the highest podcast ad spend in the US, while the US election prompted a slight increase in government and non-profit spend. Food category spend remains low, but is forecast to record the fastest growth in 2026 (+13.2%).

As the medium matures, larger brands are becoming a more dependable source of income for podcast publishers. Top podcast spenders in the US include Amazon, T-Mobile, Capital One and Toyota.

In the UK, podcast ad spend is forecast to reach £110m this year, growing at 12.8%, according to WARC Media estimates. This is a faster rate of growth than in the US, and a sharper incline than forecast for UK spend on search, social media, DOOH and BVOD in 2025.

Podcast reach in the UK is increasing: a fifth (23.6%) of people aged 15-24 listen to at least one podcast per week, and consumption is highest among 25-34-year-olds (27.9%).

Podcasts are becoming more important to political discourse

Donald Trump triumphed in the ‘podcast election’. His podcast strategy was more effective than that of rival Kamala Harris, achieving greater reach with shows known for delivering better returns for brands. Trump appeared on podcasts with a total average reach of 23.5 million compared to 6.4 million for Harris, and the shows selected by Trump drove 2-3x better results for brands in areas such as site visits, sign-ups and purchases.

According to Edison Research, nearly half (44%) of those surveyed by them said they sourced US election information from podcasts, ahead of cable TV (34%) and platforms like X (33%).

Following the US election result, previously cautious marketers are re-considering their ‘podcast safety’ approach – in particular in advertising against more right-wing content to reach younger male audiences.

Podcast audiences tend to be more receptive to ads

Nearly 40% of listeners say the medium has become “more relevant” in recent years, according to an Acast study. However, as programmatic trading expands into podcasting and the channel expands beyond baked-in host-read ads, other studies have found that two in five (42%) regular listeners skip podcast ads, as they find them intrusive.

Studies have found that episodic buys – that is, ads placed in a single podcast episode on a specific show – tend to outperform ads dynamically inserted throughout shows across a podcast network. In the case of host-read ads, Podscribe research found that, as ad length increases, visitor rates to advertisers’ sites also increase. On average, a two-minute-plus read outperforms 60-second or shorter reads by about 20%.

Read a complimentary sample report of WARC’s Global Ad Trends – Podcast media sets sights on video boom. WARC Media subscribers can read the report in full. A WARC podcast discussing the findings outlined in the report will be available from 25 February.

Global Ad Trends, part of WARC Media, is a quarterly report which draws on WARC’s dataset of advertising and media intelligence to take a holistic view on current industry developments.

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Liberia to Preview Next Oil & Gas Licensing Round Strategy at Houston Investor Day

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23 hours ago

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August 7, 2026

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The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority will host operators, investors and partners in Houston on August 19 to preview future licensing opportunities and showcase the exploration potential of its offshore basins

HOUSTON, United States of America, August 7, 2026/APO Group/ –The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) will present its strategy for the country’s next offshore licensing round at Liberia Investor Day Houston on August 19, bringing together international exploration companies, investors, service providers and energy leaders to discuss the next phase of Liberia’s upstream development.

Hosted in partnership with Energy Capital & Power, the event will provide a platform for the LPRA, led by Director General Hon. Marilyn T. Logan, to outline Liberia’s regulatory framework, investment priorities and plans to attract new participation across the country’s offshore sector. Discussions will focus on upcoming licensing opportunities, exploration prospects and the subsurface data supporting future investment decisions.

Liberia’s offshore sector is entering a new phase of exploration activity, with renewed international participation and a growing pipeline of opportunities. Following the award and ratification of eight Production Sharing Contracts in 2025, Liberia has re-established itself as a frontier exploration destination, with international operators advancing work programs designed to further evaluate the country’s petroleum potential. TotalEnergies is progressing exploration activities that include offshore geochemical surveys, 3D seismic acquisition and seabed mapping, while Oranto Petroleum has also signed contracts to explore Liberia’s offshore.

At the Liberia Investor Day Houston, the LPRA will provide industry stakeholders with insight into the priorities shaping the next licensing round, including the anticipated process, qualification requirements, available acreage and access to technical data. The engagement will give prospective investors a clearer view of Liberia’s exploration landscape and the opportunities emerging across its offshore basins.

The event will also facilitate direct dialogue between LPRA and the global upstream community, connecting companies with policymakers and industry stakeholders involved in shaping Liberia’s next chapter of petroleum development.

As exploration companies continue to seek new frontier opportunities, Liberia Investor Day Houston will highlight the role of regulatory certainty, data availability and strategic partnerships in unlocking long-term investment across Liberia’s offshore sector.

Registration is now open for attendees. Companies interested in Liberia’s emerging offshore opportunities are invited to join LPRA, investors and upstream leaders in Houston for insights into the country’s licensing strategy and exploration outlook. For more information contact info@energycapitalpower.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

 

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Beyond Stabroek: Guyana’s Offshore Basin Attracts New Wave of Exploration Investment

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23 hours ago

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August 7, 2026

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Etu Energias

As ExxonMobil advances appraisal activity in Stabroek and new operators target frontier acreage, Guyana is attracting global capital and building a diversified offshore portfolio designed to sustain long-term growth

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, August 7, 2026/APO Group/ –Guyana’s transformation into one of the world’s fastest-growing oil producers is entering a new phase, with a growing network of IOCs expanding exploration activity across the country’s offshore basin. Beyond the landmark discoveries that first put Guyana on the global energy map, new drilling campaigns and licensing partnerships are creating a broader exploration ecosystem designed to support long-term production growth.

At the center of this momentum is ExxonMobil’s continued exploration and appraisal activity in the prolific Stabroek Block. The company has submitted a proposal for a 35-well exploration and appraisal drilling campaign, expected to run from 2028 through 2033, pending regulatory approval. The program would build on more than 30 commercial discoveries already made in the block, with drilling activity focused on evaluating new prospects and appraising existing discoveries to support future development opportunities.

Exploration activity is also extending into Guyana’s frontier acreage, with ExxonMobil advancing drilling operations at the deepwater Canje Block. The company has deployed the Noble Stena Carron drillship for exploration activity, highlighting continued industry interest in evaluating Guyana’s underexplored offshore potential beyond the established Stabroek Block.

Guyana’s strong exploration outlook comes as the country’s economy continues to benefit from rapid oil sector expansion, with hydrocarbons expected to remain a key driver of exports, government revenues and economic growth. As production scales up, attracting additional investment across exploration, services and infrastructure will be critical to supporting the next phase of development.

That momentum is being reinforced through partnerships established under Guyana’s 2023 offshore licensing round. A consortium comprising TotalEnergies, QatarEnergy and Petronas is advancing exploration activities in Block S4 under a five-year production sharing agreement signed with the government in late 2025. The award represents one of the first major outcomes of the licensing round and demonstrates continued international confidence in Guyana’s offshore resource potential.

Beyond the largest operators, a diverse group of companies is also expanding activity across Guyana’s offshore basin. Eco Atlantic is advancing exploration at the Orinduik Block; CGX Energy and Frontera Energy are progressing work in the Corentyne Block; Occidental is evaluating opportunities in the Roraima Block; while Ratio Guyana and Cataleya Energy hold interests in the Kaieteur Block. Together, these partnerships are broadening Guyana’s exploration landscape, increasing competition for acreage and creating opportunities for future discoveries.

As Guyana transitions from an emerging producer to a global energy hub, the next challenge will be converting exploration success into sustainable investment, local value creation and regional growth. These opportunities will be explored at Caribbean Energy Week 2027, held under the theme “Unlocking the Caribbean Energy Corridor: Oil, Gas, LNG & Investment for a New Global Hub.” Bringing together governments, IOCs, investors and technology providers, the event will examine how Guyana’s expanding partnerships can accelerate offshore development, strengthen regional energy cooperation and attract the capital needed to support the Caribbean’s evolving energy landscape.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Energy Capital & Power Establishes London Entity, Expanding Global Platform for Energy and Mining Events

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1 day ago

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August 7, 2026

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Energy

The move strengthens ECP’s presence in the UK and Europe, and its ability to connect African and South American markets with global investors

LONDON, United Kingdom, August 6, 2026/APO Group/ –International events company Energy Capital & Power (ECP) (www.EnergyCapitalPower.com) has officially established its UK entity in London, marking a milestone in the company’s growth strategy and reinforcing its ability to deliver world-class energy and mining events and campaigns in the UK and Europe.

By establishing a presence in a key hub like London – the pre-eminent energy and mining finance center – ECP actively shapes the global energy conversation. The expansion positions ECP to better serve clients, partners and investors seeking to develop business opportunities between Africa, Europe, the Americas and energy markets worldwide.

Opening our UK company brings ECP closer to key investors in the global energy finance capital

The milestone comes as ECP strengthens its reach through a series of investment platforms that connect global capital to energy and mining projects. These include the Venezuela Energy Week London Showcase on July 30 – with over 300 delegates registered – and the annual Invest in African Energy Forum, held in Paris as the premier event connecting global investors to Africa’s energy transformation.

ECP hosts high level summits and investor conferences in leading energy and minerals producing countries in Africa and South America, including: Venezuela Energy Week; Angola Oil & Gas; MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power; African Mining Week; Libya Energy & Economic Summit; Congo Energy & Investment Forum; South Sudan Oil & Power; and Caribbean Energy Week. The company has hosted investor forums and supported licensing round roadshows in Houston, London and Paris since 2016.

“Opening our UK company brings ECP closer to key investors in the global energy finance capital,” states CEO James Chester. “Having a permanent presence in London further cements our footprint in Europe, enabling us to fulfil our mission to bring minerals and energy investment to diverse global markets.”

With teams located across Africa, Europe and the Americas, ECP has long-facilitated strategic engagement, market intelligence and industry convening, uniting investors with leading energy and mining projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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