Business
The Download
The weekly intelligence briefing for podcast industry executives.
Episodes
The archive
30 episodes, newest first.
- 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.
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- 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.
- Discovery, Netflix, and the Ad Market: What Executives Need to Watch This WeekReid Mercer cuts through the noise on podcast discovery's platform shift, Netflix's stumbling audio play, and what May's ad market data actually signals for network revenue.
- Netflix, iHeart, and the Metrics That Actually MatterReid Mercer breaks down Netflix's expanding video podcast bet with iHeartMedia, the star power behind it, what Spotify's redefined 'play' metric means for ad buyers, and why an AI gecko might be the most honest signal about where branded audio is heading.
- Measurement Wars, Video Moves, and the Obama Effect: What's Actually Moving the Industry This WeekReid Mercer breaks down the measurement overhaul threatening to redraw ad pricing, the Tubi video podcast land grab, blockbuster talent deals, and what the industry's maturation stats actually mean for your Q3 planning.
- Netflix and Spotify Team Up, YouTube Hits a Billion, and the Industry Can't Agree What a Podcast IsReid Mercer breaks down the Netflix-Spotify joint play for Jay Shetty, YouTube's billion-user milestone and new AI features, a global ad surge with new targeting tools, and the industry taskforce trying to define what a podcast actually is before the answer matters even more.
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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Elsewhere in the directory
Every one of them is made with Mato.
