Podcasts Are Telling Stories in “Truly New Ways” — Redefining Audio.

At the IAB Podcast Upfront in New York, iHeartMedia on Tuesday put forward a sweeping case that podcasting has become not only mass-reach but also the most “compelling, influential medium” for advertisers seeking engaged audiences. As one of the largest podcast companies, iHeart executives and a slate of creators also put on display how podcasting spans demographics and communities, to extend its influence well beyond audio.

“Compelling, highest engaged, maybe influential medium in media today, and over the last six to 12 months, we’ve seen that in spades,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of the iHeart Digital Audio Group. “There is something new and different about the influencer platform that is podcasting. You see psychologists, historians, researchers, comedians, and athletes telling stories in truly new ways, and I think that is redefining what we think a human story sounds like.”

Byrne, alongside iHeartPodcasts President Will Pearson, detailed how listening has surged across age groups. Among 12- to 34-year-olds, seven in 10 listen to podcasts regularly, up a third in the past three years. There has been a doubling of listening among listeners 55 and older. And daily listening is approaching one hour per person.

“Every single day, Americans spend more time with podcasts than they do on the social media platforms that we talk about dominating our lives,” Byrne said.

Pearson reminded advertisers that iHeart remains the largest podcast publisher in the world, with about 165 million average monthly downloads monthly. He said the company’s strategy is built on distributing content everywhere listeners want it, without exclusivity. “We never gate things behind a pay wall. We never keep things exclusive just to the iHeart app,” he said.

World Cup Coming To Podcasts

With its heft, no one genre dominates for iHeart, but it does see sports as a cultural and commercial engine since it builds feeling “community and unity, in a way that is rare today,” said Byrne. He said iHeart is tackling sports in podcasting through marquee partnerships with leagues including the NFL and NBA, as well as working with athletes including Steph Curry’s new media venture.

During the 2024 Olympics, iHeart was the exclusive audio partner of NBCUniversal. Based on that successful arrangement, Bryne revealed the two companies will work together next year on World Cup programming. He said several podcasts will be built around the tournament, and there will be some play-by-play and updates airing on broadcast radio too, telling marketers in the room that they are building “huge packages” built around the World Cup — which is expected to draw the biggest audiences ever in the U.S. for the tournament.

Bobby Bones, who reaches more than 14 million monthly listeners on country radio show, has also reached into sports on the podcasting side. Bones has partnered with former NFL quarterback Matt Cassel on the “Lots To Say” podcast. Bones said podcasting offered intimacy, while Cassel said the format gave him freedom.

“You can kind of un-censor it and tell real stories,” Cassel said, “funny things that I don’t think fans all the time get to see that side of an athlete.”

Sarah Spain, host of “Good Game,” also emphasized the untapped opportunity in women’s sports. She positioned her show as the first daily women’s sports show of any kind, and told marketers the opportunity was ripe. “In the last year or two, it has grown at 4.5-times that of men’s sports,” Spain said.

Hispanic Podcast Audience On The Rise

iHeart also spotlighted the fast-growing Hispanic audience through its My Cultura network. “The fastest growing audience in podcasting every year is the Hispanic podcast audience. It has more than doubled over the last five years and shows no sign of slowing down,” Byrne said.

Lele Pons, who built a massive following across Vine, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and music, unveiled her upcoming podcast “Room 305.” The show, set in hotel rooms as she travels, will blend English- and Spanish-language experiences.

Pearson also highlighted that Gen Z turns to podcasts not just for information but for connection, with 84% saying they listen to podcasts to connect with their community. And 80% look to explore different sides of their personality with podcasts.

Byrne told the upfront crowd the big picture is iHeart is ramping across multiple genres.

“We’re in an incredible new moment for podcasting,” he said. “You’re sitting at the center of the most compelling, influential medium in media.”