News brief
Audacy's State of Audio: mid-sized podcasts beat celebrity shows on cost per action
Audacy's State of Audio report, The New Rules of Podcast Advertising, finds mid-sized podcasts deliver a 22% lower cost per action than celebrity shows, listeners are 27% more likely to be influenced by topic experts than celebrities, and 64% of Gen Z now consumes podcasts monthly.
By Audacy announced this on 2026-10-12; PodSubs summarised the announcement from that source. · Published · Announcement date
The biggest names are not the best buy in podcast advertising, according to Audacy's latest State of Audio research, The New Rules of Podcast Advertising.
The report, covered across the industry in October 2026, finds that mid-sized podcasts deliver a 22% lower cost per action (CPA) than celebrity shows, and that listeners are 27% more likely to be influenced by topic experts than by well-known celebrities. It also reports that 64% of Gen Z now consumes podcasts monthly, and that 57% of Americans both watch and listen to podcasts. Audacy positions the shift as a move from buying reach to buying influence, with trust, expertise and community as the currency.
WHY IT MATTERS
This is a sales argument written for mid-sized podcasters: the report tells advertisers, with a major network's data behind it, that expert-led mid-sized shows convert more cheaply than celebrity inventory. Podcasters in that tier can quote the CPA and expertise findings directly in sponsorship pitches.
The full report, The New Rules of Podcast Advertising, is published by Audacy as part of its State of Audio series.
Announcement date: October 12, 2026.
Sources
Report a correction · Have podcast news? Submit it free for review