Podcast Ad Spending Shifts Toward Trusted Hosts.

Advertisers may get better results from mid-sized podcasts with loyal audiences than from celebrity-led shows with larger reach, according to an analysis published by Audacy.

The article cites data showing that mid-sized podcasts generate lower customer acquisition costs and stronger audience engagement, challenging the assumption that programs with the largest audiences necessarily deliver the best advertising results.

According to Podscribe’s Benchmark Report, advertisers on mid-sized podcasts see an average of 22% lower cost per acquisition (CPA) than advertisers on larger celebrity podcasts.

“We really like mid-sized podcasts because they carry a really big punch, and they’re usually efficiently priced,” says Adam McNeil, Senior VP of Client Services from Adopter Media. “We actually tend to stay away from a lot of the macro podcasts, because they don’t tend to have as much influence.”

Audacy describes these hosts as “midfluencers,” whose influence stems from established relationships with listeners rather than celebrity status. The company argues that smaller, more tightly connected audiences can be more receptive to host recommendations, potentially translating into stronger advertising performance.

The analysis also points to audience engagement as another measure advertisers can use when evaluating podcast investments. Podscribe recently introduced its second-generation engagement metrics, which measure comments and ratings relative to episode consumption across audio and video.

Audacy said higher engagement scores can signal stronger campaign performance, although the metrics remain relatively new.

As an example, the analysis compares “Call Her Daddy,” a large celebrity-led podcast, with “Sofia with an F,” a mid-sized show. According to the report, “Call Her Daddy” ranks in the 14th percentile for audio engagement and the fifth percentile for video engagement. “Sofia with an F,” meanwhile, has fewer listeners but substantially stronger engagement scores.

The comparison illustrates how audience size and audience involvement can differ, with a smaller listener base potentially offering advertisers a more engaged community.

The report also notes that some popular podcasts, including “The MeidasTouch” and “Smosh Reads Reddit Stories,” have built large audiences without relying on traditional celebrity appeal.

Audacy’s analysis doesn’t suggest that celebrity podcasts have no value for advertisers. Instead, it argues that brands should evaluate programs based on audience loyalty, engagement and conversion performance rather than reach alone.