The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) presented “ContentCast: The Business of Podcasting Content,” its latest virtual event produced through NATPE Virtual. This four-hour online event, celebrated on July 14, focused on the core elements of leveraging podcasting across screens.
The presentation dedicated to audio and its place in the content industry featured content producers, distributors, streamers, and buyers across all platforms, who led a discussion on the intersection between audio and television, both in taking IP from podcast to screen and as a powerful tool for television brands to service their audience.
“This is our first ever conference exploring the business of podcasting content. As a matter of fact, we believe this is the first time the industry overall has a show dedicated to the intersection of podcasting and video IP,” commented JP Bommel, President and CEO of NATPE, during the opening remarks.
“The industry is filled with amazing examples of leveraging audio as a creative outlet. Podcasting has exploded in popularity. There are more than 2 million shows out there and 8 million regular weekly listeners in the United States alone. There is no doubt that this new medium is an amazing way to create a different connection with your audiences worldwide,” Bommel emphasized.
For four hours, the “ContentCast: The Business of Podcasting Content” event focused on addressing all topics related to the segment, and offered panels of interest to all the players in the business, such as “State of the IP Union: How Hollywood is Finding Its Voice(s),” “A Brief Overview On the State of Podcast Listening: Today’s Share of Ear,” “Podcasting is Ready for its Close-Up,” and “Screen to Pod/Pod to Screen Audience Engagement,” among many others.
During his panel, Tom Webster, Senior Vice President at Edison Research, presented some interesting insights about podcasting. For example, he indicated that podcast listening has grown every year steadily since Edison Research started tracking it. Webster then revealed that, in 2021, 41% of people in the United States claims to have listened to a podcast in the last month, a figure that is even expected to continue growing.
The data presented by Webster demonstrates that the podcasting segment is emerging as a real competition when it comes to consumer leisure time, so it could suppose a major threat to the audiovisual industry or a unique opportunity if used as a complement.
“By sharing how to leverage podcasting to grow the content business is yet another opportunity for NATPE to fulfill its mission as an indispensable resource in the evolution of content. As the business continues to evolve, NATPE has been focused on keeping up with direct-to-consumer tools. Podcasting is yet another touch-point to engage with your biggest fans,” the President and CEO of NATPE concluded.
By Federico Marzullo