Today’s blog post from Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group looks at the 12-year trend of podcast advertising. The post notes that in advance of the first IAB Podcast Upfront in 2015, Cumulus commissioned Advertiser Perceptions to study agency and brand sentiment on podcast advertising. The most recent, conducted last month with 300 marketers and media 
agencies, reveals advertiser/agency podcasting discussion and spending intention has hit a 12-year high. Some of the key takeaways include: 1) Nine out of 10 marketers and media agencies say they have discussed podcast advertising for potential investment; 2) Podcast advertising consideration surges to a 12-year high: 75% of brands and agencies say they are likely to consider advertising in podcasts; 3) Podcast spending intention jumps to 74%, a 12-year record; 4) 76% of agencies and advertisers currently advertise in podcasts, a 5X increase since the first IAB podcast upfront in 2015; and 5) “Arnie Semsky’s 5% solution”: It is time for brands to get serious and allocate 5% of digital budgets to podcasting. See the full blog post here.
MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2026
