A Super Bowl ad gets amplified with podcast

• Theo Von and The Roost Podcast Network did a clever campaign for Pepsi over the weekend - amplifying the effect of the Pepsi Superbowl “The Choice” ad, with the bear popping into This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von. A clever way to get more value from the TV spot. (The Roost’s Catherine Brown writes more about it on LinkedIn).

• A new show has been announced by Goalhanger - The Book Club, which “brings the historical context behind famous books to life”. It’s hosted by Dominic Sandbrook and his producer, Tabitha Syrett. Wuthering Heights will be the subject of the first episode (there’s a new spicy movie adaptation out shortly, too).

• Magellan AI has released its Q4 2025 Podcast Advertising Benchmark Report. Podcast ad revenue was almost a third higher, year-on-year, with 1,482 new brands buying ads on podcasts. However, in the last three months alone, there was an increase in ad load of +6%; now, 8.82% of the average podcast - 7 minutes in every hour - is advertising.

• Podcast Movement Evolutions has announced an evening of live performances and storytelling from Companion Podcasts, with live performances and reflective storytelling including Andy Grammer and Maya Hawke. The event is Mar 13-15 in Austin TX; tickets are free with pre-registration.

• The winners of the Podes Festival in Portugal were announced over the weekend. O Retorno das Três Irmãs, a narrative podcast by Rádio Renascença about three Portuguese sisters returning to Portugal after Angola’s decolonisation, was awarded Podcast of the Year.

• Back in December 2021, the National Association for the Deaf took SiriusXM to court for not providing transcripts in its app. The legal action is still going on - the latest is that we’ll hear nothing until April this year. In the meantime, a standard for transcripts in podcast content has been produced; transcripts have been put live in Apple Podcasts, in Pocket Casts and in Spotify, and SiriusXM released a new app with transcription. It’s our opinion that while the original court action was clearly instrumental in moving our industry forward, it would appear that the only people benefitting from this ongoing legal action are the lawyers.

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Podcast News - with Airwave

With Airwave: All the Books! is a weekly show of recommendations and enthusiasm regarding the week’s new book releases. This week, Trisha recommends some books for those who might be Heated Rivalry curious - or possibly Heated Rivalry obsessed.

Almost a year ago, Dwight Howard moved his Above The Rim NBA Podcast to Blue Wire. The Sports Business Journal reports on the effect of moving to the sports podcast network.

The Deep End With Lecrae has signed with Libsyn for an exclusive hosting and advertising partnership. The show is a religion and spirituality podcast hosted by the multi-Grammy Award-winning rap artist.

How does the daughter of a Cultural Revolution survivor and a Chinese-Vietnamese refugee become a Tech Product Manager in the Bay Area? In this three-part season debut of Cultureful, a raw story of regular incredible humanity. This Lunar New Year season, you’ll follow a family’s journey from war and displacement to the relentless pursuit of love and a household full of humor - with essential historical and cultural context every step of the way. It is an intimate look at aspirations and “aha moments” that bridge generational divides; holding space for all of us to find empathy for our parents and ourselves.

In the latest IT Horror Stories with Jack Smith, unpack what a DDoS attack actually is and using the specter of Anonymous, the show discusses why high-profile groups target services. Instead of glorifying attackers it centers on mindset: staying calm, recognizing early warning signs, and understanding the difference between noise and a true outage.

What if John F. Kennedy survived the assassination attempt in Dallas? The Man Who Lived is an alternate-history political drama podcast that imagines a presidency that continues, but under the weight of memory, trauma, and expectation. It’s new today from Caloroga Shark Media.

Helena does not want to have kids. Kid, child, baby - not for her. She’s just not parent material. So why is she obsessed with parenthood? Why does she ask her friends who are parents for every detail? She’s in her forties now. The door is almost closed. And suddenly, she wonders. Does she want a kid? Personally returns for a new season from CBC: Creation Myth.