Audio Leads The Trade Desk’s Q3, Brands Commission Creator Shows, & More

Tom Webster returns to the AI data in The Podcast Landscape 2026, a study of 5,473 U.S. adults. The survey asked respondents to name a favorite show that was canceled before its story was finished. Of the 3,590 people who typed in a show, 81 wrote Firefly. That is more than twice as many as Friends. Respondents were then asked whether they would watch an AI-made new season without the original cast or writers. Across everyone who lost a show, 45% are likely to watch and 41% are unlikely. Only 31% of Firefly fans are likely to watch, and 61% are unlikely. Webster notes the result runs against the show’s profile. It is science fiction, and its fans are 70% men with a median age of 40. Men aged 25 to 54 are the most willing demographic overall. Only 15% of Firefly fans call AI hosts acceptable, though he cautions that figure rests on a base of 81. Monthly podcast consumers are more open to an AI season than people who have never consumed a podcast, at 52% likely against 32%. Webster argues the podcast industry needs more content research. The best way to know how an audience will react to AI involvement is, shockingly, to ask them.

Audio posted much stronger year-over-year growth than any other channel at The Trade Desk in the third quarter, Inside Audio Marketing reports. CFO Nate Olmstead told analysts on Monday’s earnings call that audio represented around 7% of the business. The company reported $736 million in third-quarter revenue, down 0.5% from a year earlier. Inside Audio Marketing estimates audio’s share at roughly $52 million. That figure is audio’s contribution to The Trade Desk’s revenue, not the total advertisers spent on audio through the platform. The company did not disclose audio’s growth rate. It also did not break out podcast advertising from streaming music and other digital audio. Video, including connected television, still accounts for slightly more than half of the business. CEO Jeff Green told analysts that last-click and last-view attribution do a poor job of recognizing the advertising that builds awareness and preference. The Trade Desk plans to introduce a new open measurement product by year-end.

Digiday reports that more brands are hiring creators to make whole shows. Some do it in place of part of their influencer spend and some do it alongside. Anthropologie hired Pooja Tripathi, creator of the web series Brooklyn Coffee Shop, to write and lead its first micro comedy series. The Holiday Party runs as 90-second episodes on the brand’s social channels from November 11 to 19. Anthropologie Group global CEO Barbra Sainsurin says the brand is treating it like a movie launch, with trailers and teasers. Talent management firm Hyphen says a single sponsored post from a mid-tier lifestyle creator on its roster starts at around $8,000 to $10,000. A multi-episode series lands well into five figures. Paid usage and category exclusivity can push the total to six. Laura Geller Beauty commissioned six episodes of the mockumentary We Are MICE, which reached 1.3 million views on Instagram as of earlier this week. The Streaming Wars’ Kirby Grines sees a similar shift in television. He points to Netflix’s November 28 holiday special with Salish Matter and Disney’s company-wide deal with Dude Perfect. Grines argues both buyers get years of audience data from programming the creators paid to make and test themselves.

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