UK Podcast Ads Overtake TV, Apple Podcasts Video Impact, & More

by Gavin Gaddis

Podcasting Has Already Overtaken TV. Here’s the Proof by Ben Robins

Sound Insights founder Ben Robins shares data from The 2026 UK Advertising Landscape Study, built from a survey of 5,033 UK adults aged 18+ in February 2026. Covering 20+ ad-supported media platforms across four dimensions (reach, attention, trust, and effectiveness), the survey replicated the U.S. Advertising Landscape study methodology conducted by Sounds Profitable and Signal Hill Insights, creating a direct transatlantic comparison. TV still leads overall UK reach, but podcasts dominate among 18-to-34-year-olds. Robins concludes that media planners targeting UK adults under 45 at scale can no longer view podcasting as niche. In some cases, it's the primary option.

”Video on Apple Podcasts Doubled My Plays” (Case Study) by Justin Jackson

Transistor.fm co-founder Justin Jackson shares the experience of the podcast Primary Technology after it switched to publishing video episodes on Apple Podcasts, as it was the first podcast on Transistor to make the switch. Co-host Stephen Robles's screenshots show Apple plays "roughly doubled," with engaged listeners rising from 707 (episode 121, pre-switch) to 1,072 (episode 126). The new Apple video audience isn't cannibalizing plays elsewhere: YouTube episodes and audio app versions perform at expected levels. One downside: Apple Podcasts’ HLS video lacks chapters and synced transcripts, giving paying subscribers an inferior experience to free listeners. As such, his paying Apple Podcasts subscribers accidentally get an inferior experience to consuming the show for free, as they get no chapters or video. 

Broadcast Is Following the Retail Media Playbook. Audio Should Pay Attention

Consumable's NAB Show 2026 takeaways highlight a gap in audio advertising. Years ago, radio groups had sales reps sell local CTV inventory. They never did the same for digital audio. As digital audio’s targeting becomes precise with reliable measurement and performance, the trick becomes selling it. Buyers were never trained to think of audio as a performance channel, while the sellers weren’t trained to sell it as performance. It was easier to focus on video advertising, as that was easier to explain (and, by extension, easier to sell). The companies that put the same passion into selling digital audio as they did CTV will likely find themselves small fish in a large, uncontested pond. 

IAB Says Video Ad Spending Set to Surge Past $80 Billion in 2026

The IAB projection for 2026 digital video ad spend is currently $81.9 billion, an 11% increase year over year. IAB CEO David Cohen says the signals from the marketplace are “loud and unambiguous,” with marketers demanding performance and looking to digital video to deliver. 54% of surveyed marketers are planning to shift money out of broadcast TV investment to fund digital video. 23% say they’re moving budgets from digital audio to pay for digital video, though that could come out in the wash as video podcasting grows and takes those digital video dollars. 

Study Finds Podcasts Deliver Unique Reach Beyond Streaming Audio

Magellan AI and True Native Media have published Beyond the Buy: Smarter Podcast Advertising, a new white paper coaching modern mentality to selling podcast advertising. Podcast listeners are regularly moving between different formats depending on context. Podcasts tend to capture leaned-in attention, while streaming audio is often used for passive moments or habitual tasks. Putting podcasting into a broader audio plan doesn’t just add impressions, it extends the reach into audiences that streaming alone might not capture. 

In case you missed last month’s partner update, just a note that moving forward our monthly partner emails will be shared as a section in this newsletter. 

Each month we will share the biggest updates on everything happening at Sounds Profitable and across the industry. We will also include information on where to access partner-only information.

And now on to the updates for Sounds Profitable partners this month.

We've partnered with Club Quarters Hotels to offer exclusive member rates across New York, London, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Houston. Partners can find the booking link in Slack and full details about the partnership at the Partner Perks section of the Sounds Profitable website, where all current partner benefits live.

The Podcast Show London is almost here. If you still need tickets, see Slack for our discount code. And be sure to create your custom graphic here to share your attendance at the event on LinkedIn.

On May 19, we're hosting a Pod-Tales and Cocktails Happy Hour at Bubba Oasis alongside NumberEight, Katz Digital, Claritas, Barometer, Locked On, and AdLarge. Anyone can sign up via the waitlist link. Priority access will be given to Sounds Profitable partners and clients of the sponsoring companies.

Following London, we'll be at Cannes Lions in June. New this year: we've partnered with LBB Beach to give partner companies up to three team passes for the full week. Attending partners must fill out this short form so we can get your tickets allocated. Be sure to also create your custom graphic for Cannes Lions here to share on LinkedIn.

Not a partner yet? We are currently running a limited time offer for new partners to join Sounds Profitable at $500 per month for the ability to buy tickets for our partner-only Sounds Profitable Business Summit in September.

Once tickets open to existing partners later this month, the entry point for new partnership shifts to a $6K upfront commitment for our yearly partnership. General ticket sales (if any remain), will open after that.

As always, reply with any questions about these benefits or if you’d like to explore partnership ahead of the Sounds Profitable Business Summit.