This Week’s Influencer: Faith-Based Creators Share the Strange Secret to Success; Retire the Word “Podcast?”; Podcast’s Next Era, and More…

What’s one podcast genre that’s successful for advertisers but is often overlooked?

Find out in a creator spotlight episode of Media Roundtable: Special Edition.

Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) welcomes the co-hosts of the hit, faith-based podcast Girls Gone Bible, Angela Halili & Arielle Reitsma.

They’re talking: A Meteoric Rise, Brand Love, and Marketing with Faith. Let’s dig in.

“There’s no dollar amount that’s worth doing anything that goes against our core mission.” – Angela Halili (Co-Host, Girls Gone Bible)

By Popular Demand – Video had a large part in creating these podcast stars. After a messy first episode, Arielle and Angela decided not to scrap the whole recording. Instead, they released some of the best clips, which promptly blew up with 20M views. The unfiltered rawness on display connected with their audience and fueled a subsequent meteoric rise. Clips can reveal what audiences want. Podcasts are where creators deliver.

Only Promote What You Love – You know when hosts phone in the ads? Not on GGB. Arielle and Angela are so protective of their audience that they pick brands they love enough to promote them. This should be a must for your campaigns: work with engaged hosts. They’re the creators who maintain the highest audience trust.

Marketing with Faith – Recent ORBIT insights showed that the Faith genre is a strong performer, but lags in investment. Brands are growing more comfortable supporting faith-based shows, but some hesitations prevent further investment. That means there’s a fantastic opportunity for smart brands to invest before the market catches on.

Want more insights into an overlooked, overperforming part of the industry? Tune in to the full episode by clicking any of the links below.

The Classifieds

May Your Days Be Merry and Bright

Network: Cloud10 / Monthly Downloads: 15k

With Q4 drawing to a close, we’re soon entering the industry’s quietest period of the year. For those able to rest and reset ahead of a bright new year, now is the time to start planning for better, healthier habits. Our first classified has recently joined Cloud10, a network that merrily promotes female-focused shows, many of which are self-improvement-based. Host Grace Bithell, LCSW, spends each episode working through toxic examples of guilt, stress, and shame to help her listeners find their joy.

For those looking for honest advice from an industry professional with the levity of a casual conversation with a new friend, this scratches that itch. This is an excellent opportunity for advertisers in the Mental Health or Wellness space, or any DTCs that focus on self-improvement or efficiency. So head down to the link below to add a guilt-free test to your Q1 plans.

Get The Deal

Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot

Network: Acast / Monthly Downloads: 30k

While “doing more reading” was not one of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions, there have been many literary podcasts seeing performance boosts in 2025, especially with the rise of “Booktok”. Fiction-based work has seen sizable growth in recent years, which has led to the rise of our second offering. Sisters Nicole and Lexi have been hosting Fantasy Fangirls for several years, and in that time, they have covered series such as Empyrean, A Court of Thorns and Roses series, and the Kindred’s Curse Saga. The podcast has built an impressive online community through its imaginative show structure, sassy jokes, and genuine enthusiasm. For those who balk at the constraint of book clubs but love finding kinship with their fellow readers, this is a great middle ground. For advertisers who find success in male-skewed genres such as Leisure, this female-skewed opportunity offers balance and a chance to diversify your audience. One does not simply walk into Mordor, nor do they find information anywhere but the link below.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

Retire the Word “Podcast”? No Thanks.

The Verge’s Andru Marino argues “podcast” has become meaningless in 2025 as video dominates. YouTube’s podcast tab now shows late-night clips, video essays, food reviews, and cable news alongside traditional audio shows. Marino suggests retiring “podcast” as an outdated term in her latest article, similar to “web series,” proposing we repurpose older terminology instead. We say no, thank you. In 2025, podcasts reached mass consumption. Like it or not, the term is going to stick around. People know what podcasts are, and one look at the comments on the article confirms it. Yes, the iPod no longer exists, but by the same token, we still call a phone a phone even though it is no longer attached to your wall… It’s time, however, to recognize that podcasts have evolved beyond audio. The trick is evolving our understanding and measurement to capture the differences in delivery.

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Podcasting’s Next Phase – Flexibility Will Be Key

Amplifi Media’s CEO Steve Goldstein declares podcasting has entered a new phase: the “Liquid Content” era. Following the intimate “MeUndies Era” (~$750K industry revenue), the investment-heavy “Spaghetti-Against-the-Wall Era,” and the “What Is a Podcast?” identity crisis, content now flows freely across YouTube, clips, newsletters, livestreams, and events. Goldstein has been involved since the beginning, so if he says we’re in a new phase of podcasting, he’s probably right. The key implication, as noted above, is that as podcasting continues to evolve, it may become harder to fully measure performance across new platforms. That said, this industry has a way of adjusting. If you want a virtually foolproof measurement, consider a HDYHAU survey with a second layer that captures specific podcast titles. We can help you set it up.

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The Drama is Over: Howard Stern Renews with SXM

Howard Stern announced a new three-year deal with SiriusXM through 2028 on his final show of the year, ending months of speculation after reports suggested the platform might not renew his previous $100M/year contract. Terms of the new “more flexible schedule” deal weren’t disclosed. There was a lot of buzz this summer about whether Stern’s run at SiriusXM was coming to an end. While we know he’s sticking around through at least 2028, this might be the last long-term contract for Stern, given he’s in his 70s. It’s good news for Stern, SiriusXM, and advertisers who’ve continued to see real performance from his host-read ads.

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#SaveTheLiveReads

A Stoic Take on Giving That Works

As the year winds down, this #STLR from The Daily Stoic is a timely reminder of why one of our advertisers, GiveWell, matters. Host Ryan Holiday starts with a very stoic question: “What are you actually going to do about it?” His read for the philanthropic-focused brand works because it is not preachy; It’s practical, empowering, and grounded in real impact. It also highlights GiveWell’s 18 years of research, its massive donor trust, and Ryan’s personal contributions every year. In a season focused on meaningful gifts and real outcomes, the message lands perfectly: generosity can be intentional and effective, turning good intentions into action that genuinely saves lives. This is a personal endorsement at its best, and is guaranteed to inspire even the stingiest of Scrooges this holiday season. Listen to this final gift of a read at the link below.

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