PodMov Daily: Tuesday, January 21

Episode 125: Testing, One Two-sday

The Ringer Talks Comment on Podcasting’s Distinct Value

According to Front Office Sports, Bill Simmons’s asking price for The Ringer is “roughly $200 million.” As we noted yesterday, Spotify has shown interest during early discussions. “Spotify’s desire to acquire The Ringer stems mostly from its network of 30-plus podcasts generating 100 million downloads a month,” writes Michael McCarthy, referring to the Wall Street Journal’s initial report.

“Even if The Ringer doubled its podcast ad revenue in 2019, $200 million would be a significant premium for a startup site that doesn’t break news or draw much traffic outside of podcasts,” writes McCarthy, paraphrasing comments from investment firm founder Eric Jackson. Interpreted a different way, low engagement “outside of podcasts” may no longer be a liability.

The Hosts of “Girls Gotta Eat” on the Power of Structure

Ashley Hesseltine and Rayna Greenburg have treated their podcast Girls Gotta Eat like a business from the beginning, and it shows. Frances Dodds of Entrepreneur profiles the hosts of the dating and relationship-themed comedy show, launched in 2018. “Now, the podcast gets 2.5 million downloads a week, is a top 20 podcast on iTunes and Spotify, and after 50 live shows last year, Girls Gotta Eat is going on tour in Australia.”

Professional leverage from Greenburg’s successful food blog and Hesseltine’s Instagram presence led to the development of the podcast. The two have used meticulous structure to grow a lucrative brand on top of the show. As Hesseltine tells Dodds, “I have felt in my career like you have to constantly pivot and evolve, and use what you’ve already built to enhance your next endeavor.”

Elsie Escobar Levels Up: Goal-Based Podcast Planning

Elsie Escobar of Libsyn is writing a series of blog posts on starting podcasts, each arranged according to an individual creator’s goals. “Just as there are as many reasons to podcast as people on Earth, there are hundreds of ways to create and manage your podcast,” she asserts.

The series identifies three flexible levels from which to start, detailing strategies and equipment for each category. It’s a guide for beginners and high-budget marketing teams alike, despite their “different goals, needs, budgets, and time to devote.” The posts emphasize the importance of a strong foundation for flexible growth down the road.

“[…] podcasting technology, workflows and services are evolving all the time,” Escobar points out. “There may well be some great new piece of tech you’ll want to upgrade to later, an easier workflow that wasn’t available when you started, or a new distribution channel.”

Happy Tuesday, readers, and congratulations to all the nominees at the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards. Since the big win, Aaron Mahnke has taken the time to answer many of your podcasting questions on Twitter. Check them out for expert tips and witty quips

Cheers,

Team PM

Here’s what else is going on:

• Listen here: Katie Deighton of The Drum details the movement toward audio-described TV ads for blind and visually impaired consumers. An ad is “visually identical to a regular spot — the difference just lies in the track that’s played behind it.”

• Reveal ideal: Alli Romano of MediaVillage makes a strong case for shorter podcasts, combining recent trends and expert research. Though episode “length is actually a complicated equation,” detailed assessment will point you in the right direction.

• Grab bag: The Motley Fool named Spotify one of “three top stocks to buy and hold through 2020,” citing the company’s two-sided market strategy. Disney and Okta, an enterprise identity access management (IAM) provider, are the other two picks.

• Steady climb: Audioboom posted a 91% increase in revenue to $22.2m in 2019, according to City A.M. The platform has yet to turn a profit, but is focusing on the expansion of original shows and recently opened two New York production studios.