We analyzed $1.6 billion in podcast ads. Here's what actually drives ROI.

CAOs: We analyzed $1.6 billion in podcast ads. Here’s what actually drives ROI.

During this week’s Media Roundtable, the team at Oxford Road unveiled ORBIT, the Oxford Road Benchmark Intelligence Tool, built on $1.6 billion in actual campaign performance data: not estimates, not surveys; just real results from advertisers spending real money.

This is the planning tool we’ve been chasing for a decade. ORBIT doesn’t just tell you which podcasts are popular; it tells you which ones drive ROI, which ones convert, and which ones are worth the check you’re about to write.

•  Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) sits down with the data wizards who made it real:

•  Brian Kim (Director of Analytics, Oxford Road)

•  Mike Dunsmore (Director of Analytics, Reporting and Insights, Oxford Road)

•  Tucker Peleuses (VP of Strategy, Oxford Road)

The team unpacks: Why Joe Rogan Didn’t Crack the Top 15, the Faith-Based Performance Secret, the Genre Trap Costing You Money, and more. Let’s get into it.

“This is what happened when real companies spent real money. If you want to know which podcasts work, start here.” – Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road)

The Performance Index That Shouldn’t Exist (But Does) – ORBIT aggregates $1.6B in podcast spend across hundreds of advertisers, 120+ genres, multiple attribution models, and normalizes it all into one question: What actually worked? We’re publishing monthly rankings so you can validate your buys before you sign the IO. Who made the first Top 3? Critical Role (#1), The David Pakman Show (#2),  and The Megyn Kelly Show (#3). Notice what’s missing? The shows everyone thinks perform best.
Big Reach ≠ Big Results – Joe Rogan didn’t make the Top 15. Neither did most tier-1 mega-shows. Meanwhile, smaller podcasts and niche genres dominated the performance rankings. Turns out, marketers systematically overpay for household names while ignoring shows that deliver better returns. ORBIT cuts through the hype and shows you what actually converts, not what rate cards hope works.
Stop Buying Your Own Industry’s Shows! – Tucker tested the theory that had plagued him for 13 years: Do tech companies perform better on tech podcasts? Finance brands on business shows? ORBIT data says no. There’s no statistically significant lift from matching your industry to your genre. Your customers listen to the same shows as everyone else: comedy, true crime, politics… the genre silo is costing you sales. (Bonus insight: Faith-based podcasts rank top 20% for performance across verticals. Amen!)

Ready to plan smarter? The full episode breaks down how ORBIT works, what it reveals, and why nothing like this has ever existed in podcasting. Click below if you’re ready to launch your campaigns into the thermosphere.