The news: Podcasts audiences are growing and becoming a more valuable channel for brand discovery.

• 73% of US adults over 12 have watched or listened to a podcast, per Edison Research’s The Podcast Consumer 2025 report.
• 65% of all podcast fans feel grateful to brands that support their favorite podcasts.
• 44% of listeners bought a product after hearing a sponsorship or ad on a podcast in Q1 2025, up from 34% in Q1 2020.

Zooming out: Podcasts are becoming a fixture in marketing plans, with podcast ad spending intention set to hit an 11-year high this year, per Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights.

• 78% of marketers are already investing in podcast advertising—five times more than in 2015.