Podcast Audience to Double by 2009
Forecasters: As audience grows, advertisers' spend in podcasts increase..
adapted from eMarketer data

The U.S. audience for podcasts will more than double in the next two years, according to a new report from online research firm eMarketer. Researchers expect the U.S. podcast audience (defined as active weekly downloaders) to reach 14 million by 2009 from 6.5 million today.

  • The total U.S. podcast audience reached 18.5 million (6.5 million actives) in 2007.
      
  • The total U.S. podcast audience will reach 65 million (25 million actives) in 2012.

U.S. Podcast Advertising Spending Projections

 
$Mil
%Chg
2007
$165
106.3%
2008
$240
45.5%
2009
$310
29.2%
2010
$360
16.1%
2011
$400
11.1%
2012
$435
8.8%
Source: eMarketer, January 2008

“As the U.S. podcasting industry matures, it is unquestionably creating a listening audience,” says Paul Verna, eMarketer Senior Analyst. “Along with a larger audience comes increases in advertising spending tied to podcasts.” eMarketer predicts podcast-related advertising and sponsorships will nearly triple to $435 million by 2012, up from $165 million today.

Key drivers of podcast-user base, according to Verna:

  • Easier consumption of podcast content
  • Greater awareness of the medium
  • Terrestrial radio’s use and promotion of podcasting
  • Increased penetration of portable players

While eMarketer’s podcasting statistics paint a rosy picture for podcasts, experts say they may be based on a fairly limited idea of podcasting (i.e. radio-style audio podcasts). We’ll keep you posted on the evolution of this much talked-about Web medium that’s been gathering eyeballs (and earlobes) of late.