by Gavin Gaddis

Politics and Podcasting: A Special Report from The Podcast Landscape by Tom Webster

Tom Webster breaks out the political findings from The Podcast Landscape 2026. The survey covers 5,473 U.S. adults weighted to Census figures. This is the second year it asked about politics. 48% of adults say politicians are appropriate podcast guests. 39% say neither and 10% say no. The gap on that question between weekly consumers and people who never listen grew from 29 points to 38. A quote from Webster’s conclusion: “I can’t tell you whether a podcast appearance will change a single vote in November, and nothing in this study could. I can tell you that 18% of likely midterm voters say it would make them more likely to vote for the politician, that 8% say less likely, and that the 18% come from every party.”

Study: 81% of creator fans trust creators as much, or more than, they trust their friends

Wondery commissioned SmithGeiger to survey 3,000 U.S. adults ages 18 to 64 in June of this year. All respondents regularly watch or listen to creator-hosted podcasts or online series. The parasocial connection between content creators and fans remains strong, as 81% of respondents say they trust their favorite creator as much as, or more than, their close friends. 89% trust the host's expertise. 71% say a steady presence across multiple episodes signals a genuine endorsement. Half assume a host didn't like a brand that was mentioned once and never again. After multi-episode partnerships, 70% say they are more likely to trust the brand. 67% are more likely to try it. The study also finds clips are almost twice as effective as word-of-mouth at bringing in new viewers. 95% of existing fans take action after seeing a clip.

Netflix Cuts 1,000 Jobs as Its Ads, Live and Gaming Bets Face Tighter Profitability Tests

Netflix is cutting about 1,000 jobs, roughly 6% of its global workforce. The cuts fall mostly in product, technology, legal and human resources. The Streaming Wars reports that Netflix expects about $3 billion in ad revenue this year. That is roughly double its 2025 total. Q2 2026 revenue rose 13% year over year to $12.6 billion. Growth slowed from 16.2% in the first quarter. Netflix forecasts full-year revenue of $51 billion to $51.4 billion. Live programming is slightly more than 5% of content spending but about 1% of viewing hours. The article says Netflix has not tied the layoffs to its use of generative AI.

Nielsen Report Highlights Radio's Reach And Advertising ROI

A new Nielsen report, Everyone. Everywhere, finds radio reaches 92% of U.S. adults each month. That is more than 242 million people. Radio and podcasts together hold 82% of ad-supported audio time. Streaming music holds 16%. About 65% of adult radio listening happens away from home, mostly in cars. Over 80% of ad-supported in-car audio goes to AM/FM, per Edison Research. On Nielsen's Global Compass, radio returned a weighted $2 per dollar spent. Social media returned $2.22 and podcasts returned $1.49. Among adults 18 to 34, radio reaches 88%. Adding podcasts raises that to 94%. Nielsen cautions against relying on connected-vehicle data alone. That data shows what a car is tuned to, but not who is listening or how many people are in the car. It also misses many older vehicles and commercial trucks.

Inside Dentsu's plan to make entertainment a part of every brand's budget by Seb Joseph

Dentsu wants brands to treat entertainment as a core budget line. Many brands have funded it from innovation budgets instead. Cathy Boxall, Dentsu's global head of entertainment, says it used to sit apart from brand strategy. Dentsu now invests in IP and also acts as its lead marketer. Boxall calls this a flywheel that gives clients early (often exclusive) access. Lower-cost formats like microdramas, video podcasts and YouTube-native series make these deals easier to afford. Recent projects include a microsoap made with P&G Studios for its Native brand.