Business
The Download
The weekly intelligence briefing for podcast industry executives.
Episodes
The archive
24 episodes, newest first.
- The Merger Nobody Confirmed: SiriusXM's Numbers, the YouTube Deal, and the iHeart WhisperSiriusXM posted a strong quarter and a splashy YouTube ad-rep deal — but the real story is the merger talk nobody on the earnings call would touch. Plus: two more newspapers sue OpenAI and Microsoft, and a niche ad platform shows where programmatic goes next.
- The Ad Stack Land Grab: Murdoch's Vox Play, Sirius's Numbers, and the 44% Ad Load Nobody's Talking AboutMurdoch buys into podcasting, Sirius posts real ad growth, and buried under both stories is the actual power move: who owns the ad server. Reid breaks down why the infrastructure fight matters more than the marquee deals.
- Netflix Wants Your Podcast, SXSW Wants Your Badge MoneyReid Mercer breaks down the video platform land grab for premium audio IP, SXSW turning podcasting into a paid pillar, the political ad money flooding in ahead of midterms, and why CTV is quietly coming for audio budgets.
- Ad Load Hits a Ceiling, Disney Buys the Pitch, and the NFL's AI DenialReid Mercer breaks down Q2's 23% podcast ad surge and what a record ad load really signals, Disney+ and Netflix bidding up football podcasts, Spotify's Twitch experiment, and the NFL's messy AI accusation.
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- Spotify Hands Listeners the Skip ButtonReid Mercer breaks down Spotify's ad-skip test and what it means for CPMs, plus iHeart's video podcast deal with Disney+, the Obama and Budden launches, and July's softening ad spend.
- The Highest-Paid List, the Subscription Land Grab, and a $3B Video Ad MarketReid Mercer breaks down the 2026 highest-paid podcaster rankings, ABC's true-crime subscription play, the $3 billion video podcast ad market, and what Tori Spelling's exit says about talent-dependent IP.
- The Billion Dollar Measurement Bet, Podium's Debut, and Bartlett's Run at RoganReid Mercer breaks down the ad tech and measurement moves the industry claims will unlock a billion dollars, plus The Roost's relaunch as Podium, iHeart's ranking lead, and the talent economics behind Steven Bartlett's climb.
- The Numbers Netflix Won't Show YouReid Mercer breaks down why Netflix is burying its podcast viewership data, what LeBron and Lil Wayne's new shows reveal about celebrity economics, and why ad spend concentration among $360 million in top buyers should worry network execs.
- The Royal Booking, the Ad Money, and Who's Actually ListeningReid Mercer breaks down Prince William's calculated appearance on New Heights, why Shopify's ad spend dominance and Mel Robbins' audience-ownership pitch matter to your negotiating leverage, and where the smart money is chasing diverse audiences and new discovery channels.
- Power Moves, Platform Bets, and a TV Host Who Learned Podcasting Has ConsequencesReid Mercer breaks down Amazon's expanding audio footprint, the ad tech data that should shift your Q3 planning, and why the Karl Stefanovic saga is actually a liability story every network exec needs to read carefully.
Talent
Talents in this show
Each one has a profile of their own.
About
What the show is
From network strategy and M&A moves to ad tech innovations and monetization tactics, The Download delivers the insider analysis that shapes decisions at the highest levels of audio. Essential listening for leaders at major networks, ad platforms, and anyone building the future of podcasting.
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