The Best of Podcast Advertising at the IAB Podcast Upfront 2024

The IAB Podcast Upfront happened—and we made quite the impact. When it comes to podcast advertising, we aren’t just the biggest and the best, we are actively working to earn your confidence. We are doubling down in the podcast space like no one else, and the proof is in our content, our audiences, and our adtech. 

Didn’t catch the show? Here’s the rundown. 

Content Advertisers Want to be a Part of

Our podcast slate is unstoppable, constantly evolving to bring the best content out there to listeners wherever they get their podcasts. For brands, that means consistent connection to the highly engaged, ever-growing podcast audience.

SmartLess Available Starting in August

The SiriusXM Podcast Network is the strongest network out there, attracting the biggest shows around. This includes the hot celebrity podcasts that everyone loves to talk about and listen to… maybe you've heard of Jason, Will, and Sean, the hosts of SmartLess? These superstars will be joining the network later this summer.

Hot Off the Press: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Everyone’s favorite neighborhood bartenders—Woody Harrelson and Ted Danson—are reuniting after 30 years for a new podcast with us coming June 12 called Where Everybody Knows Your Name. Each nostalgia-filled episode offers Ted and Woody a chance to rekindle their 40+ year friendship while connecting with remarkably talented pals along, including Kristen Bell, Eric Andre, Conan O’Brien, Jane Fonda, and Simu Liu. Cheers fans, keep a lookout.

Curated Collections Make it Easier to Buy

It’s not just about the new and popular shows coming to our network. We're coming up with new, simpler ways to buy. Meet Curated Collections. These are turnkey packages that are off the shelf, and ready-to-buy, based on specific content, audiences, and creator types.

We're extra excited for the SiriusXM Sports Podcast Collection, which allows you to be part of the biggest sports moments in real time. Through this collection, advertisers can tap into 300+ sports podcasts with an average of 17M monthly downloads from SiriusXM, NBC Sports Podcasts, and the Locked On podcast network.

The Most Valuable Audiences 

Podcasts would not be where they are today on the media landscape without a massive base of loyal fans lapping up all the medium has to offer. Podcast audiences are growing more diverse every day, attracting female, Black, and Hispanic listeners in droves, outpacing growth with other demographics.

We Are the Top Network for Women

We’re also the #1 network with women—you know, those consumers who hold the purse strings everywhere from households to boardrooms. We have the biggest podcast in the country with women, Crime Junkie, as well as the entire audiochuck true crime fempire. And, of course, our network is home to the Gen Z whisperer: TikTok's self-appointed "big sister" Tinx. 

Investing in Diverse Creators and Bringing New Listeners to Podcasts

We're continuing to invest in multicultural creators with the goal of engaging people across every thought, culture, interest—creating a place where there’s something for everyone across every perspective. This includes the new astrology podcast Stars and Stars with Isa, and continuing The Read hosted by Kid Fury and Crissle. We also have a Diverse Creators collection to help advertisers activate campaigns across a wide variety of BIPOC-hosted shows to connect with listeners in diverse communities.

Breakthrough Technology That We Built

We’re changing the podcast-advertising game, bringing advertisers the trusted approaches they know (like show-level buys and host read ads) and innovating to bring new ad formats and buy types to the table to take campaigns further—all with targeting efficiency and measurable effectiveness.

Leading the Programmatic Podcast Space

Unlike others, everything is built on our very own adtech—which is why we are the leaders in programmatic podcast solutions. We offer better control in delivery, targeting, and measurement across our publisher network. We’ve also added capabilities like transcription targeting, bid stream transparency, and even new AI-powered Synthetic Voice ads.

Best in Brand Safety

The SiriusXM Podcast Network is brand safe, adhering to GARM and IAB standards—for starters. We know what advertisers really want control over is brand suitability, ensuring their ads play alongside the right content. And we not only have the tools to allow advertisers to control the context in which their brand messages play, but we also offer third-party brand suitability and safety verification.

And Lastly, Vibe Check Stole the Show

Our special guests Saeed Jones, Sam Sanders, and Zach Stafford of Vibe Check were our star attraction. They exemplify everything that audiences love about podcasts: They’re seasoned journalists who moved into the space for the freedom it brings, they draw listeners into their worlds with real conversation, and they’re offering a mix of companionship, news, opinion, and hot gossip—all with an authenticity and intimacy that other media just can’t match. What started as a group chat between three friends has become a vibrant, engaging, ongoing discussion that everyone is invited to join. And that’s exactly how we all felt hearing their kinetic energy and infectious laughter on stage.

We may be biased, but our time on the IAB Podcast Upfront stage was unmatched. Are you ready to take your podcast campaigns to the next level? Let’s talk.