This Week’s Influencer: Oxford Road’s 2026 Industry Predictions; YouTube’s Dominance; The End of Podcast as We Know it?; I Miss My MTV; And More…

Podcasts walked the red carpet, won the awards, and settled into your living room. So, where does the industry head next? Find out on a new Media Roundtable: Industry Edition.

Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) breaks down the biggest stories with fellow audiophiles:

• Bart Roselli (EVP Media, Oxford Road)

• Courtney O’Connor (Director, Podcast Media, Oxford Road)

• Giles Martin (EVP Strategy, Oxford Road)

The team is talking: The End of Ads, PodFraud, the Living Room Podcast, and more. Let’s dig in.

“ Is it the end of ads? No, but I do think that it’s potentially an end of an era.” – Courtney O’Connor (Director, Podcast Media, Oxford Road)

The End of Ads? – It sounds like a sensationalist take: could podcast ads see the same collapse as ‘90s banner ads? No, but at a minimum, guarding against increasing ad load is smart business (Podcasting was dragged for its ads during the Golden Globes). No one wants podcasts to become burdened with ads like radio. Marketers, check the ad load of your shows, and reward the networks who are keeping the percentage low.

PodFraud – We have two cases of advertising rule-breaking this week, but remember, fraud is an arrow. It points to value. Take the pay-to-play scandal in India, where people pay $15-30k to be a guest on a show: the value of the show has to be many times higher to justify the risk. On another note, if there’s a business for someone to strip out the ads and resell the shows, that’s a problem, but this points to the bigger issue of rising podloads. Again, the industry needs to manage ads or risk audiences opting out. In the meantime, marketers must work to make their ads compelling enough that no one would skip them. (Stumped? We can help.)

The Living Room Podcast – YouTube says couch podcast viewing hit 700M hours in October 2025. Giles’ rough math says that’s ~4% of CTV viewing, a staggering number. There’s one thing we don’t know: exactly how attentive is the watcher? Couch podcasts could be a source of active engagement, or background noise that might not even have someone in the room listening to it.. Our POV: if you can measure well, kick the tires on a campaign. Then you’ll know if the results justify the CPMs.

Want more insights from the forces shaping the industry? Tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below.

The Classifieds

Nothing to Fear But the Laughs Yet to Come

Network: Daylight Media / Monthly Downloads: 360k

Finding a podcast that’s hosted by a single online personality is hard to come by. Finding one hosted by four is an extreme feat. The combined following of this offering’s hosts (Hasan Piker, Will Neff, Austin Show, and QTCinderella) totals 6.5 million subscribers and includes a strong Gen Z and Millennial demographic. Though these content creators have different interests and backgrounds, they always connect over their long-term friendships and experiences with one another.
In their shared podcast from Daylight Media, topics often skew on the lighter side, including internet discourse, pop culture coverage, off-the-wall humor, and recaps of their lives in the spotlight. They also boast a strong guest lineup that contributes to a robust social presence and constant viral moments. Those who are looking to find a highly informed demographic of young professionals, or an LGBTQIA+ audience segment, are strongly recommended to test. Have no fear, the link below is here, so click below.

Get The Deal

This Phenomenal Woman is Fighting For Her Place on the Charts and in Your Heart

Network: Lemonada Media / Monthly Downloads: 30k

Reshma Saujani is an inspirational phenomenon: activist, author, non-profit founder, CEO, lawyer, and now podcast host. While her background is centered on computer science and the American political landscape, her chart-topping podcast delves into a more personal avenue: being a middle-aged woman. Women are underrepresented in many industries, artforms, and political arenas, even though they make up 50% of the US population.
While the most popular podcasts tend to be male-led, the intimacy of audio offers resources and community building for all that cannot be beat. Saujani talks to guests about the nuances of being an older woman, whether it’s regarding common experiences around careers, health, religion, or more specific topics like relationship advice and confidence building. Advertisers looking for the coveted older female demographic are in luck, as this has become a top-performing opportunity for similar clients. There’s nothing “so-called” about this amazing opportunity: find out for yourself via the link below.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

From Earbuds to the Golden Globes – Podcast Goes Hollywood

Good Hang With Amy Poehler (Paper Kite Productions/The Ringer) won the inaugural Golden Globe for Best Podcast on January 11, 2026. Other nominees (selected from an extremely short list of just 25 shows by Golden Globe’s data partner Luminate): Armchair Expert, Call Her Daddy, Smartless, The Mel Robbins Podcast, and NPR’s Up First. During her acceptance speech, Poehler joked about “celebs phoning it in” to the medium. Yes, the Golden Globes took shots at podcast ad load, something we’ve flagged before. But let’s be clear: podcast ad load is still relatively light, especially compared to TV and radio. The important point is recognition. Podcasts are now being treated on par with film and TV. That matters for brands and the industry.

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 AI Recommendations ≠ Smart Media Buying

Frank Racioppi of Ear Worthy tested AI recommendation systems and found they systematically exclude independent podcasts, returning only network shows like Joe Rogan and Crime Junkie unless users explicitly push the prompt for “independent podcasts.” He called on industry leaders to address the bias and published Ear Worthy‘s own curated indie podcast list as a workaround. AI can help with podcast discovery; however, recommendation systems default to scale and familiarity, which favors bigger shows unless users know what to ask for. For marketers, that means AI-only discovery may push you toward higher-demand inventory. This is where expert-led curation still matters. Rankings like Oxford Road’s monthly ORBIT list help surface shows that actually perform, not just those with name recognition.

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Pierre Robert: A Voice That Lasted Before AI & Algorithms

Coleman Insights posted a heartwarming tribute to Pierre Robert, a longtime DJ on Philadelphia’s rock station WMMR, who passed away on October 29th, after 44 years on air. Sam Milkman reflects on what made Pierre iconic: his beyond-authentic personality shaped by counterculture influences, love for the art form, clarity of purpose, his own vocabulary (“Great Day in the Morning,” “citizens”), and a willingness to break rules while staying true to his principles. The piece asks whether radio can still nurture “truly unique, multi-faceted, and imperfect” personalities in an AI era. Pierre’s lesson applies directly to creators and brands alike. People who build 44-year relationships don’t follow playbooks, algorithms, or best practices. They follow passion, develop a distinct voice, and break rules without breaking principles. For marketers looking for “authentic creators,” this tribute is a reminder that authenticity isn’t optimized, scaled, or manufactured. It’s built over time, and it’s worth protecting in today’s media landscape.

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#SaveTheLiveReads

Health Panic Solved the Funny Way with Zocdoc

Listen up as IHIP Podcast hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan line up their Zocdoc live read in the sweet spot of being hilarious, relatable, and genuinely helpful. These gals open with a perfectly chaotic confession we’ve all lived: spiraling into a doom scroll of self-diagnosed symptoms online, jumping between TikTok, AI, and panic. It’s instantly engaging and sets up the perfect pitch for Zocdoc’s real-world solution.

Their personal story about moving from Oklahoma City to New York adds authenticity and positions Zocdoc as not just helpful, but as a lifesaver during big life changes. The tone is casual and approachable while delivering instead of sounding like a product rundown. The read feels like a trusted friend saying, “Hey, I’ve been there. This actually works.” The clear call to action and clever reminder to stop putting off doctor appointments tie it all together, making this a stellar, standout example of how to turn personal experience into listener motivation.

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