690. It’s Show Business, Baby!

Podcasting started as a niche-nerd pursuit. Now it’s a $9 billion industry. Is that a lot? The strange economics of this thing we do.

• SOURCES:• Jim Bankoff (linkedin.com/in/jimbankoff/?isSelfProfile=false), chairman and C.E.O. of Vox Media.
• Ben Davis (insideradio.com/podcast_power_players_2020/ben…), head of digital at WME.
• Will Page (tarzaneconomics.com), former chief economist at Spotify and author of Pivot.
• Jenna Weiss-Berman (linkedin.com/in/jenna-weiss-berman-67558525/?i…), head of Paper Kite Audio and executive producer of Good Hang with Amy Poehler.
• Jeanine Wright (linkedin.com/in/jeaninepercivalwright/?isSelfP…), co-founder and C.E.O. of Liquid Studios (Inception Point AI).

• RESOURCES:• "U.S. AI infrastructure buildout is surpassing every prior investment in American history (qz.com/us-ai-infrastructure-buildout-biggest-e…)," by Cris Tolomia (Quartz, 2026).
• "The AMP Accords (ampaccords.com)," (Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting, 2026).
• "Owl & Co: Global Podcast Economy Grew 23% To $9.2 Billion In 2025. (insideradio.com/free/owl-co-global-podcast-eco…)" (Inside Radio, 2026).
• "James Murdoch to Buy New York Magazine, Other Vox Assets for Around $300 Million (wsj.com/business/media/vox-media-selling-new-y…)," by Isabella Simonetti and Jessica Toonkel (The Wall Street Journal, 2026).
• "Patreon Says Podcasters Earned $629 Million in 2025, Up 33%, as Platform's Biggest Content Category Keeps Growing (variety.com/2026/digital/news/patreon-podcaste…)," by Todd Spangler (Variety, 2026).

• EXTRAS:• "How to Think About A.I. (freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/how-to-think-abou…)," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023).
• "How Spotify Saved the Music Industry (But Not Necessarily Musicians) (freakonomics.com/podcast/how-spotify-saved-the…)," by Freakonomics Radio (2019).
• "Our 100th Episode! (freakonomics.com/podcast/our-100th-episode)" by Freakonomics Radio (2012).

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