Magellan AI: Podcast Plans Get Reach Boost When Streaming Audio Joins The Mix.

Magellan AI says in a new white paper that advertisers who question the value of streaming audio may be overlooking its ability to expand audience reach when paired with podcasts.

According to the company, Ad Results Media approached Magellan AI after repeatedly hearing similar concerns from advertisers, including: “My audience isn’t listening to streaming audio” and “I can reach the exact same people through podcast and terrestrial radio.”

Magellan AI says Ad Results Media asked the firm to analyze audience data to determine whether podcasts and streaming audio reach the same households or whether using both channels increases overall reach.

To conduct the analysis, Magellan AI reviewed third-quarter 2025 ad delivery for two major audio networks it measures: iHeartMedia podcast and streaming, and SiriusXM podcast and streaming. The company used the Experian device graph to identify households that received podcast ads and those that received streaming audio ads, then compared the two groups to measure overlap and unique reach.

The analysis found that most households reached by each channel were not shared. Magellan AI reported that 86.5% of podcast household reach was unique to podcasts, while 13.5% overlapped with streaming audio. For streaming audio, 75.2% of household reach was unique to streaming, and 24.8% overlapped with podcasts.

Magellan AI says the findings indicate that advertisers can gain significant incremental reach by adding streaming audio to a podcast-focused media plan without increasing podcast ad frequency. The same can be said for adding podcasting to a streaming audio media plan. The company says adding an additional audio channel can expand total reach by tens of thousands of households at scale, even for marketers already advertising in audio.

The research also showed that streaming audio consistently extended reach beyond podcasts alone. Magellan AI also found that the combination of podcast and streaming audio acts as a multiplier for campaigns, with streaming serving as an always-on presence between podcast episode releases.

Download the Magellan AI whitepaper HERE.