I thought this was an interesting piece from Sports Business Journal.

The Podcast Revolution

Speaking of technology and rights...

Quote:Podcasts are also making gains as an advertising vehicle compared to the far more established radio. A PwC-led industry study last year for the Interactive Advertising Bureau found that while radio advertising still dwarfs that of podcasts with annual ad spending of $18.3 billion in 2017, podcast ad revenue grew from $69 million in 2015 to $119 million the following year and to $220 million in 2017. The latter two figures reflect gains of 72 percent and 85 percent, respectively. However, several executives interviewed by SportsBusiness Journal said that, despite various studies and reports cataloging the rise of podcasting, one of the remaining challenges is a lack of consensus on how listenership and audience size are determined. “We need uniform measurement,” said Traug Keller, ESPN senior vice president of audio. “The industry has to nail it. We’re all working towards that.”

I can see networks and leagues coming up with a more uniform system to do podcasting and distribute to hungry fans. As cheap as the medium is, should be easy to pull off and what's interesting about this is the new advertising potential.

podcasts are never to beat radio on ad revenue. At some point they are going to have to bite to bullet and start charging for access.

(06-05-2018 03:56 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  podcasts are never to beat radio on ad revenue. At some point they are going to have to bite to bullet and start charging for access.

Probably wouldn't ever beat radio, but it doesn't seem to be hurting radio either. It's like an entirely new sector that's still growing.

I absolutely love the new ESPN App. It figures out my favorite teams or sports I follow and when I open the app gives me video clips that pertain to those interests. Podcasting will probably be the next wave as I see it being able to provide content while one is driving and can pay attention to. Podcasts do need to be easier to search, find and play before it takes off.