by Gavin Gaddis
Newsletter and blogging platform beehiiv has rolled out audio podcast hosting and monetization services. In an interview with Sounds Profitable Partner Bryan Barletta, beehiiv CEO Tyler Denk says podcasts are a natural fit, as podcasts and newsletters have a lot in common. He positions podcasts as a core pillar of beehiiv, letting publishers consolidate podcasts hosted elsewhere with their other publications. beehiiv’s hosting has been designed to be IAB compliant, with Denk saying the company is about to begin the formal certification process.
Sounds Profitable’s latest research, The Last Quarter, looks at the 25% of Americans who have never consumed a podcast. In this week’s Sounds Profitable article, Tom Webster focuses on the political affiliations of the Last Quarter, as there’s a group being left behind. Those on either end of the political spectrum have established media architecture driving them to podcasts. Public media like NPR brought liberal audiences to the medium as it grew, while algorithmically-tailored conservative content does the same on the other side. The problem is, algorithmic platforms aren’t designed to promote moderate content. Centrist and moderate conservative podcast holdouts find themselves in a dead zone, as podcasting has no editorial layer that can curate less-extreme takes that don’t swing hard in either political direction.
Spotify internal data shows the Spotify Ad Exchange (SAX) increased its monthly active advertisers 222% year-over-year since launching in April 2025. Media agency Rain For Growth reports its Spotify spend increased 190% from May 2025 to March 2026, with programmatic guaranteed spending increasing 12% and private marketplace climbing 64%. SAX has made accessing Spotify inventory more streamlined for advertisers, but media buyers tell Digiday buying audio remains a mix of direct and programmatic. PMG Head of Programmatic Mary O’Brien notes buyers still favor going for direct deals when it comes to buying host-read podcast ads, a sentiment echoed by a spokesperson for Factor.
…as for the rest of the news:
NBC Sports has chosen Triton Digital as the provider of key components in its digital audio and podcasting infrastructure, including hosting, monetization, audience measurement, and audience insights.
The Canada Media Fund’s Digital Creators Pilot Program is expanding scope to now accept applications from mid-career Canadian podcast creators looking to grow or expand their business into original video podcast production.
Tubefilter covers the news that Alex Cooper’s network is launching a YouTube reality competition show. The series, dubbed Unwell Winter Games, debuts April 6.
Acast has announced a multi-year partnership with popular Australian podcast It’s A Lot with Abbie Chatfield.
The Virginia Queer Film Festival (VAQFF) has launched Queer Ear, an inaugural audio storytelling program debuting in the 2026 edition of the festival. VAQFF is currently taking submissions of audio-only storytelling pieces under 25 minutes in length from podcast series, anthologies, and standalone projects before the deadline of August 1, 2026.
