Episode 28: Alex Cooper's Sirius XM Deal, Apple Podcasts' Web Strategy, and Edison Research Insights

Welcome and introduction welcome to Michelle's podcast news where we bring you the latest updates from the podcasting world I am your host Michelle tandler and today we have some exciting news to share let's Dive Right In First on the docket today we have an Alex Cooper's deal with Sirius XM and its impact on the podcasting industry incredible update from the world of high-profile podcast deals Alex Cooper the host Creator and executive producer of the popular call her daddy podcast has just Inked a monument Al deal with Sirius XM Holdings Incorporated Sirius XM has signed a multi-year agreement that will see them gain exclusive rights to sell advertisements on both the audio and video versions of Cooper's show as well as bonus content and events the deal is reportedly worth an astonishing $100 million over more than 3 years this information comes from a source familiar with the arrangement for those who may not know Alex Cooper is one of the world's leading podcasters she previously worked exclusively with Spotify technology sa to distribute her program which has amassed over 4 million followers according to Edison research call her daddy was the seventh most popular podcast in the United States in the first quarter of this year the Sirius XM deal also extends to podcasts on Cooper's unwell Network including shows from influencers such as Alex Earl and meline Argy Scott Greenstein Sirius xm's president expressed his excitement about the partnership stating Alex's Fearless unfiltered approach where no topic is off the table has created a passionate and dedicated fan base that is unmatched in podcasting and perfectly aligns with the content that sirious XM subscribers have come to love and expect from us while a representative for Cooper declined to comment on the deal Sirius XM plans to start introducing exclusive content in 2025 the announcement has already had a positive impact on SiriusXM stock which rose by as much as 7.2% to $326 in New York following the news this is not the first time Sirius XM has made headlines with a massive podcasting deal earlier this year the company signed a three-year agreement worth over $100 million with smartless a podcast hosted by actors Will Arnett Jason baitman and Shawn Hayes additionally just this month Sirius XM launched a new subscription offering on Apple podcasts providing ad-free episodes for $599 a month with call her daddy included in that bundle Bloomberg intelligence analysts Gea ranganathan and Kevin Neer believe that exclusive content is crucial for Sirius XM especially as their contract with Howard Stern is set to expire in 2025 they noted that deals like the one with Alex Cooper could help reinvigorate subscriber growth for the company that wraps up this segment of Michelle's podcast news stay tuned as we dive into more news from the podcasting world next up we have some exciting news Apple Podcasts' accessibility via web browsers and its cross-platform strategy for Apple podcast users especially those on Windows Apple podcasts can now be accessed through web browsers including Google Chrome Microsoft Edge Mozilla Firefox and others this means that you no longer need to use an Apple device to listen to your favorite podcast on Apple podcasts this move is part of Apple's broader strategy to make its services more web friendly recently Apple also launched the beta version of Apple Maps on the web but notably Apple podcasts on the web is not in beta you can easily access it by navigating to https podcasts. apple.com us browse in your browser of choice the web experience for Apple podcasts is very similar to what you would find on a Mac or an iPad our friends over at imore tested Apple podcast with The Arc browser and reported a positive experience there's a good chance that you'll have the same smooth experience on any modern browser interestingly you do not even need an Apple account to use apple podcasts on the web however having one will allow you to sync your listening progress across multiple devices which is a nice added benefit this development is significant because it shows apple is warming up to the idea of making its services more accessible across different platforms including Windows earlier this year Apple rolled out official apps for Apple music Apple TV and Apple devices for Windows and now with apple podcasts on the web it seems like the tech giant is closing the Gap even further Microsoft on the other hand has been more open to putting its apps on competitor devices for the last several years for example Microsoft had apps ready for Apple Vision Pro right after the device launched it seems like apple is now taking a page out of Microsoft's book albeit slowly while it is great to see apple making these moves it is still surprising that it took this long the company held on to iTunes for far too long and many of its services should have had web apps at launch but as the saying goes better late than never so if you a Windows user who loves Apple pod you can now enjoy your favorite shows without any hassle just open your preferred web browser head to the Apple podcast website and start listening next up we're diving into some Edison Research's insights on podcast listener habits and statistics fascinating research from Edison research which delves into the habits of podcast listeners the study is aptly titled down the rabbit hole podcast listening among podcast listeners and it offers some intriguing insights according to Edison researches share of er R study once people start listening to podcasts they often find themselves getting hooked and filling more of their days and nights with podcast content the share of ear study involves respondents keeping a detailed one-day Diary of all their audio listening by isolating those who reported spending any time with podcasts on their diary day the study reveals some interesting patterns a robust 21% of all Americans aged 13 and older fall into the category of podcast listeners and among these listeners a whopping 34% of their daily audio time is spent listening to podcasts this makes podcasting the biggest chunk of their daily audio consumption surpassing other forms of audio entertainment following podcasts the next largest portion of their listening time goes to Radio podcast listeners spend 21% of their daily audio time with amfm radio and radio a streams then streaming music comes in third accounting for 17% of their daily audio time the data supports what Edison research calls the rabbit hole thesis once people discover the vast array of options and the entertainment and informational value podcasts provide they tend to devote more and more of their time to this ever emerging medium it's like falling into a Wonderland of endless possibilities and fascinating content in fact the study uses a metaphor from from Alice in Wonderland to describe this phenomenon once Alice finally reached the end of her fall down the rabbit hole she found the loveliest Garden you ever saw this is a fitting description for the world of podcasting where listeners can explore a beautiful and diverse landscape of shows and topics in our final segment today we Australian political debate and proposed reforms on gambling ads in podcasts turn our attention to an important issue that is currently Making Waves in the Australian political landscape crossbench members of parliament are calling on the government to extend a proposed ban on gambling advertisements to include podcasts this move comes as the labor party continues to consult on its reform package which has been described by some as watered down during recent briefings with media companies and gambling reform Advocates the government has not clearly addressed the fate of gambling advertising revenue generated by Audio platforms like Spotify this has left a significant Gap in the proposed reforms as these platforms rake in substantial revenue from gambling advertisements independent Member of Parliament Andrew Wilkey is among the voices advocating for more comprehensive restrictions I feel strongly that a ban or at least the restrictions envisaged by the government should apply to all media including podcasts said wilky independent Member of Parliament algra spender also weighed in on the issue stating the evidence is clear that partial banss do not work she called for the major parties to allow a free vote on the legislation highlighting some discontent within Labor's own ranks regarding the current approach the call for extending the ban to podcast underscores a broader concern about the effectiveness of peacemeal reforms Advocates argue that without a comprehensive approach the impact of any advertising restrictions will be significantly diluted as the government continues its consultations the fate of gambling advertisements on podcasts remains uncertain however the push from independent members of parliament and reform Advocates signals that this issue is far from settled that's all for today's episode Closing remarks and sign-off of Michelle's podcast news thank you for tuning in and we hope you found today's updates informative join us again tomorrow for more news from the podcasting World until then this is Michelle tandler signing off have a great day