Increase in women’s sports podcasts illustrates latest trends in the audio space

The GIST: The podcast space is finally listening to women’s sports fans — something we’ve been doing since 2020. Everyone from sports media companies to standalone podcasts are getting into the women’s game, so we’re covering some trends in the space and what they mean for the future. Let’s dive in.

The talent: There’s typically three types of hosts running these pods: Traditional sports media personalities such as Sarah Spain, retired athletes like Sam Mewis, Sue Bird, and Megan Rapinoe, or Gen Z athletes like Ilona Maher, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink.

• These younger stars tend to host shows that blend sport with culture and entertainment topics while featuring star-studded interviews. This reflects how Gen Z consumes sports, with influencers and pop culture moments introducing new fans to sports content.

The consumer: While overall podcast audiences have skewed male and millennial, that’s quickly changing. Podcast discovery is high among Gen Z and women listeners, with 75% of Gen Z tuning in (up 5% YoY), especially on YouTube.

• Listener trust runs notoriously deep, with 61% of Zoomers saying pod advertisements influence purchasing habits. On average, heavy podcast listeners are 60% more likely to purchase advertised products online and 71% more likely to purchase them in store.

The brand integration: Since these listeners are interested in making purchases and attending live events, brands are capitalizing on these widespread, engaged audiences. Bird and Rapinoe are hosting their revamped podcast live at major events like Cannes, SXSW, and WNBA All-Star Weekend, all of which nabbed event sponsors to bankroll these moments.

• While companies tend to generally focus on low-lift programmatic ads, something heavy-hitters Amazon and Disney are catering to, brands also benefit from partnering directly with podcast hosts.

• Media companies like Audacy and Vox Media are teaming up with independent pods for opportunities, but it still pays to partner with a whole network: iHeart Women’s Sports founding partners Capital One, E.l.f. Cosmetics, and Novartis benefit from the brand’s 99% positive sentiment on social media. Liked and subscribed.