Oxford Road’s latest ORBIT ranking have produced some interesting insights about entertainment and media podcasts.
It highlights that advertisers can achieve strong results by selecting specific entertainment and media podcasts, rather than relying on the genre as a whole.
The new ranking is based on over $1.8 billion in campaign data from more than 500 advertisers, focusing on actual sales outcomes.
Historically, entertainment and media podcasts have underperformed compared to genres like True Crime, News, and Society & Culture.
However, Oxford Road has identified 15 shows within this category that outperform expectations, demonstrating that targeted strategies can deliver the results advertisers seek.
Key insights from the ORBIT ranking show that advertisers should be selective, as standout titles exist even in lower-performing genres.
Shows with dedicated, niche audiences often convert better, regardless of their overall size or infrastructure.
For example, Super Carlin Brothers and Blank Check with Griffin & David both rank in the top five, despite focusing on highly specific topics. Their deep dives into pop culture foster strong engagement and higher purchase intent among listeners.
The ranking also reveals that most top entertainment podcasts centre on TV and film discussions, connecting with audiences who follow weekly episodes and new film releases.
This approach mirrors the way sports fans engage with their favourite podcasts, with successful shows keeping pace with audience interests and the pop culture calendar.
Another notable trend is the emergence of a female pop-culture cluster within the top 15, with four shows targeting female-skewing reality TV and commentary.
This cluster offers direct-to-consumer brands an effective way to reach female audiences at scale.
Acast stands out among publishers, securing four of the top 15 spots, while others have one each. This suggests that Acast’s approach is effective across multiple show formats, and advertisers are advised to focus on its leading titles when planning campaigns.
The ORBIT tool, built on the industry’s largest index of podcast advertising performance data, measures customer acquisition costs, return on ad spend, and sales results from real campaigns.
It enables advertisers to reduce risk, optimise quickly, and identify high-performing shows before they become costly.
Oxford Road plans to release new ORBIT rankings monthly, covering various categories and drawing from its extensive database across podcasting, streaming audio, terrestrial radio, and creator-based video.
