The data: The top 10 podcast advertisers spent $40.8 million on the format in September 2026, a 20.0% month-over-month (MoM) increase, but down 11.7% YoY, per Podscribe.

Sixty-four percent of the top 10 spenders’ budgets was dominated by sports show placements, reaching $26.3 million.

Standouts:

• Mint Mobile: The prepaid mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) led podcast spending with $5.2 million, predominantly within news programs—a 40.5% spike YoY.
• Quince: The US ecommerce company came in second with $4.9 million in spending on mostly society and culture shows. That’s up 19.5% YoY.

Why it’s worth watching: Several big spenders leaned into consumer trust of host-read ads.

• Quince, PrizePicks, and BetterHelp allocated more than 80% of their budgets to host-read options.
• Shopify also pushed into that space with 58% of its placements.

Fifty-nine percent of US consumers say they feel a connection with podcast hosts, and 42% have bought a product based on a host’s recommendation, per Clutch. However, authenticity is key—61% say they would lose trust in a host if a promotion feels off-brand.

Recommendations for marketers: Podcasts have a growing audience, especially among Gen Zers. We expect two-thirds of that demographic will listen to podcasts this year, surpassing 76% by 2030. Pair that reach with listeners’ trust in hosts, and advertising within podcasts is a no-brainer.

For brands wanting in on sports podcasts, placements don’t need to align with game schedules to reach fans. Follow fans beyond live events with ads in post-game recap podcasts or daily sports shows. These placements cost considerably less than live game placements and won’t lose audiences to second screens like game breaks do.

Outside of host-read ads, plan creative that works well on both audio and video to save on two separate production processes, considering YouTube is now the top platform for podcast consumption. But above all, marketers need to do a deep dive into individual shows to ensure brand sentiment and podcast content align.

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