This Week’s Influencer: OxfoRd’s “What Brands Want” Deep Dive - Why Advertisers Aren’t Maximizing Their Buys; The Death of Late Night? and More…

Why Brands Aren’t Spending That Extra $1B on Podcasts (Yet)

Advertisers want to spend an extra $1B in podcasting, but they’re holding back until we address the industry’s most significant issues.

This week on The Media Roundtable, we’ve assembled a powerhouse of CAOs to talk about the findings of our 2025 “What Brands Want” report.

At this summer’s CAO Summit, we learned that podcasting could be one billion dollars bigger… if brands had what they need today. After polling brand leaders on their hurdles and needs, the results are in.

Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) breaks down the findings with:

• Justin Fitzpatrick (Head of Performance Marketing, Found)
• Julianna Crozier (Associate Director, Influencer Partnerships & Growth Marketing, Thrive Market)
• Will Flaherty (SVP, Growth, Ro)
• Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy, Oxford Road)

The team is talking: Closing the Measurement Gap, Beating the Clutter, Minding the Macro, and more. Let’s dig in:

“Any sort of improvement that we can make on the measurement side to prove the efficacy of our ad dollars is going to only enable us to put more and more budget into the channel.” – Justin Fitzpatrick (Head of Performance Marketing, Found)

Close the Measurement Gap – The industry’s most significant hurdle to unlocking the next billion? The lack of standardized measurement, especially between RSS and YouTube impressions. We’re pushing for the big players to give CAOs standardized tracking, but until then, we recommend a two-step HDYHAU to capture performance by channel AND show. Bonus: listeners actually want to give credit to their favorite hosts; we just need to make sure there’s a way for them to do so.

Beat the Clutter – Podcasts thrive on breakthrough authenticity. Rising ad loads and undisclosed AI voice clones threaten podcasting’s golden goose. CAOs want to protect that authentic connection between the brand and host, while maintaining an authentic host/audience connection. Creators and publishers take note: brands want to spend more for results. You can grow more with fewer, customized, and authentic ads than with skippable ad blocks. CAOs, keep asking questions about ad loads and checking the Oxford Clock.

Mind the Macro – If measurement is the first blocker for expanding budgets, then macro environment concerns (e.g. tariffs) are the second. How can CAOs and creators respond? Resonant creative messaging. Our panel doubles down on understanding their audience and how their products can help current issues. Authentic partnerships with hosts and solid measurement practices (see above) give you the certainty you need to increase budgets in uncertain times.

Want more know-how on the industry’s hurdles and solutions? Grab the full “What Brands Want” report here. And for in-depth insights, check out the full episode below:

The Classifieds

OG YouTubers Make Long Overdue Debut

Network: Studio 71 / Monthly Downloads: 500k

The first wave of YouTubers is all but extinct, thanks to burnout, controversies, algorithm changes, or all three. Dan and Phil (Daniel Howell and Phil Lester) have broken that curse, having started on the platform in 2009 and maintaining a presence there ever since. Though they have been slower to create content in recent years, they have been enjoying a much-deserved Renaissance as of late. This could be because the twosome has been hiding a 16-year relationship and has decided to hard-launch it in this new venture with Studio 71.
New episodes will be published in both audio and video, and soon hosts will be available for on-screen reads. This opportunity is perfectly aligned for a millennial audience of comedy lovers, especially those included in the LGBTQIA+ community. If you’re ready to “hard launch” into a test, you can start via the link below.

Get The Deal

A Well Behaved Woman Who Has Made History

Network:  ZATV Podcast Network / Monthly Downloads: 10k

When you’re building self-respect, the idea of adhering to etiquette doesn’t often cross one’s mind. Traditionally, “minding your manners” has been given a negative connotation, often within an assimilationist framework. Sara Jane Ho has spent her career outlining the inherent positives of living a more purposeful life, both as a Chinese finishing school founder and TV host. In her new podcast, Ho is less concerned with instruction and more apt to open herself up to her guests. The conversations are still surrounding self-acceptance, improvement, and confidence, but also touching on topics that are dear to her heart. There’s a heavy occurrence of alternative and Eastern Health remedies as well as discussions around issues inherent to women’s healthcare. Advertisers in the health and wellness space are highly recommended to test this in Q4. Please take your elbows off the table, and leave your shoes at the door before clicking below for more details.

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In Case You Missed It

Podcasting’s Increasing Share of Ad-Supported Audio

Podcast News Daily reports that Nielsen’s Q3 data shows podcasts now account for 20% of all ad-supported audio listening, up slightly from last quarter. Among the 18-34 demo, the share of listening increases to 31%. For the same demo, podcasts and music streaming (54%) surpasses radio (43%) for ad-supported listening. The findings underscore audio’s overall stability and the growing role of podcasts as both a reach and engagement driver for advertisers. Radio continues to hold the majority of ad-supported listening overall with 62% share. However, for younger listeners, digital audio now rules listenership.

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(True) Crime Pays – MrBallen Inks Deal with SXM

SiriusXM has signed a multi-year deal with John Allen, better known as MrBallen, to distribute and monetize his lineup of podcasts. The agreement brings MrBallen’s flagship true-crime show, The MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories, and other originals under the SiriusXM umbrella. The move strengthens SiriusXM’s position in the premium podcast space by aligning with a creator who has built a massive, loyal following across platforms. Big deals keep landing for creators with loyal, scaled audiences. Keep an eye on SXM, they’ve been aggressive in locking down top talent.

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So Long Late Night Talk Shows?

SiriusXM reports that podcasts are increasingly filling the cultural role once held by late-night talk shows—offering personality-driven commentary, interviews, and humor on demand rather than at a set time. Listeners now turn to podcasters for the same mix of insight and entertainment they’d usually find with late-night shows, but with greater authenticity and intimacy. CAOs looking to replace the declining reach of late-night TV should look to podcasts. Don’t be surprised if Colbert, Fallon, or Kimmel follow Conan’s path to audio. Podcasts serve a similar cultural function but with greater intimacy and flexibility – sans the laugh tracks and musical guests 🙂

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#SaveTheLiveReads

Allie Ostander Gives a Satiatingly Good Read For HungryRoot

This week’s #STLR is meal-prep magic meets post-run reality, from pro athlete and host of her very own YouTube Channel, Allie Ostander, and we are so here for it. Fresh off a trip to Chicago and running on empty (literally),  NCAA long-distance runner and mental health advocate turns a grocery-store panic into a total flex with her Hungryroot box. She unboxes like a pro, raving about clean ingredients, 15-minute meals, and a Chicken Caesar Salad so easy it basically makes itself. The way she casually drops “pre-prepped protein” while juggling travel, training, and healthy eating? Chef’s kiss. Allie and Hungryroot are a match made in heaven. AND she provides visually enticing jump cuts of herself unboxing her very own box full of food goodies.  It’s fun, it’s relatable, it’s “please sign me up immediately” energy—and with 40% off plus a free item for life? Yeah, we’re sold before the salad hits the plate!

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OXFORd In The News

Why Podcast Advertisers Are Holding Back Close to $1 Billion

The conversation around podcast advertising just got louder. Oxford Road’s “What Brands Want 2025” report is making waves again, this time in The Hollywood Reporter, which spotlights one of the study’s most significant findings: advertisers are holding back nearly $1 billion in potential podcast spend because measurement still hasn’t caught up to the medium’s growth. As YouTube, Spotify, and Apple continue to operate under separate standards, brands are calling for a unified system of attribution and a clear definition of what a “podcast” really is. Until then, the money’s waiting for the metrics to align.

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