Podcasts Offer Advertisers A Way To Reach Ad-Free Streaming Audiences.

Advertisers looking to reach consumers who increasingly watch television and video content without commercials may find an effective alternative in podcasts, according to a new study from Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights reported in the latest Westwood One blog.

For the 16th edition of the Podcast Download series, Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights retained Quantilope to conduct an in-depth study of 600 weekly podcast consumers in April 2026.

The Spring 2026 report examines platform preferences, the growth of video podcasts, content trends and advertiser use of podcast advertising, among other topics.

A key finding of the latest report is the extent to which podcast consumers also use streaming video services, particularly services and content that do not carry advertising.

“Advertisers can find displaced TV viewers with podcasts. According to the Podcast Download, weekly podcast consumers are flocking to streaming services. 97% have used a video streaming service in the past month. 88% have used an ad-free video streaming service.”

The study found that 33% of weekly podcast consumers do not subscribe to any pay-TV service.

The findings also indicate that podcast consumers spend considerably more of their television time with ad-free platforms and content than the overall U.S. television audience.

Nielsen recently reported that 27% of all time spent with television, including broadcast, cable and streaming, was devoted to advertising-free content. Among podcast listeners, however, 39% of television viewing time is spent with ad-free platforms and content.

As a result, weekly podcast listeners devote 44% more of their television viewing time to ad-free TV than the average American, making them a potentially difficult audience for traditional television advertising to reach.

The challenge is even greater among heavy podcast consumers, defined by the study as people who listened to podcasts for six or more hours during the previous week.

“Compared to weekly podcast consumers, heavy podcast consumers are +14% more likely to be heavy ad-free video streamers. On average, heavy podcast consumers spend 7 hours with ad-free TV streaming services, +9% more time than the weekly podcast listener (6.4 hours).”

The findings could have particular implications for streaming services seeking to promote returning television series.

Bloomberg has reported that Netflix has struggled to retain viewers when some of its successful original programs return for second seasons. Several series that attracted large audiences during their initial seasons experienced substantial declines when subsequent seasons premiered.

“Running Point” and “The Four Seasons” both fell by 50%, according to the report. “Beef,” which returned in April 2026, dropped by 70%. “The Night Agent” lost 50% of its audience for its second season and another 35% for its third.

The second season of “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” which debuted in June 2026 after the series ranked among Netflix’s most-watched titles in 2024, experienced a decline of more than 60% in its first week.

One possible explanation is a lack of consumer awareness that new seasons have returned. Broadcast networks such as CBS routinely begin promoting returning programs months in advance, including the network's October 2026 premieres.

Netflix, by comparison, relies heavily on promotion within its own platform and does relatively little external promotion of its programming.

That could create an opportunity for podcast advertising. Because podcast consumers are also heavy users of video streaming services, the report suggests podcasts can provide streaming platforms with a way to promote new programs and returning series to consumers who may not encounter traditional television advertising.

Netflix ranked fourth with an 8% audience share in Nielsen’s May 2026 Gauge report, but 92% of television viewing occurs outside Netflix.

That means Netflix cannot rely solely on promotions shown within its own service to build awareness and excitement around returning programs. Podcast advertising could provide an additional way to reach potential viewers before and around the launch of new seasons.

The overlap between podcast listening and streaming video consumption makes podcast audiences particularly attractive for streaming advertisers, according to the Podcast Download findings.