Russ: Spotify says their new ads are unskippable... but their own terms of service say you can skip them.
Nadia: I'm Nadia.
Russ: And I'm Russ. It's Tuesday, August 18th.
Nadia: And we're tracking the three big stories moving the podcast world today.
Russ: Spotify is telling advertisers one thing and users another about its new ad format.
Nadia: The Fast & Furious franchise is revving its engines for another movie, but leaving a massive podcast opportunity on the table.
Russ: And Rosie O'Donnell's guest-hosting gig on Jimmy Kimmel might just be the new way to audition for a podcast deal.
Nadia: Alright, let's start with Spotify. Podnews is reporting that the company is rolling out so-called 'unskippable' video ads for some users.
Russ: Unskippable? On a podcast app? That's… a bold choice. Especially for a company trying to keep people paying for Premium.
Nadia: Well, it's about chasing a bigger piece of the pie. According to Magellan AI's latest quarterly report, podcast ad spend is up 8% year-over-year, hitting over 2 billion dollars in Q2.
Russ: Okay, so the pie is getting bigger and Spotify wants a bigger slice. I get that.
Nadia: Exactly. They want that TV and radio money. But here's the twist. The folks at Podnews had a lawyer review Spotify's terms of service…
Russ: And? Don't leave me hanging.
Nadia: And the terms literally state that users may have the ability to skip advertisements. There's no language that allows for a truly unskippable format.
Russ: Wait—what? They're selling 'unskippable' ads that their own contract says are skippable? Is that incompetence or are they just lying?
Nadia: [sighs] It's corporate ambiguity. It's likely different tiers and user types have different experiences, but they're marketing it with a single, misleading word.
Russ: This is some next-level [censor] garbage. 'Unskippable means skippable for some people, sometimes.' It's meaningless.
Nadia: And for advertisers, that uncertainty is a huge problem. You can't buy an 'unskippable' ad if it's… well, skippable.
Russ: So for the listener, it just means more confusion and more ads. As usual.
Nadia: Okay, next up: Vin Diesel. Variety reports that 'Fast Forever'—the next, and supposedly final, Fast & Furious movie—starts shooting in December.
Russ: Another one? Of course. But what's the podcast story here, Nadia? Are they launching a podcast about NOS injection techniques?
Nadia: [laughs] Not quite. The story is the giant, podcast-shaped hole in their strategy. This is one of the biggest media franchises on earth, and it has no flagship, official podcast.
Russ: There are hundreds of fan podcasts about it, though. And they're probably more entertaining than some studio-approved marketing material.
Nadia: That's my point! The fans are doing the work for free. A well-produced companion show with cast interviews, behind-the-scenes access… it could generate millions in ad revenue and downloads.
Russ: If they didn't ruin it. 'Brought to you by Dodge.' No thanks. I'd rather listen to two guys from Cleveland breaking down the physics of that ridiculous bank vault scene.
Nadia: I get the skepticism, but think of the scale. 'The Official Game of Thrones Podcast,' 'The Crown: The Official Podcast'—they are huge. Universal is leaving money and narrative control on the table.
Russ: Good. Let the indie creators own the space. For once, the fans win.
Nadia: Now for our last story, let's talk about the small screen. Rosie O'Donnell took over as a guest host for 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' this week.
Russ: Right, I saw clips. She called Trump the 'Mango Mussolini.' Pretty classic Rosie. Was she good?
Nadia: The reviews were strong. But the industry play here isn't the TV monologue; it's the podcast feed. This is a public audition.
Russ: An audition? For what, Kimmel's job?
Nadia: For her own major podcast. Think about it: she gets to pilot her voice and style on a top-20 podcast feed for a week. The show gets a novelty ratings bump, and a network like Wondery or SiriusXM gets to see hard data on whether there's an audio audience for her.
Russ: Okay, hold on. Do people really listen to the podcast of a late-night show? Isn't it just a vehicle for YouTube clips?
Nadia: They absolutely do. The Kimmel feed gets millions of downloads a month. It's a huge audio platform in its own right. Guest hosting is the new, low-risk way to launch a personality-driven podcast.
Russ: So it's a try-before-you-buy for the podcast networks. Clever.
Nadia: Extremely. Alright, let's recap.
Russ: Spotify's ads are 'unskippable' until you read the fine print.
Nadia: The Fast & Furious franchise continues to ignore a multi-million dollar podcast opportunity.
Russ: And if you want a podcast deal, get yourself a guest-hosting gig on TV.
Nadia: Before we go, Russ, a moment for the algorithm. I was served an ad today for a podcast that exclusively reviews airport water fountains.
Russ: [laughs] Are you serious? Okay, I have to admit, that's a show I might actually listen to. What's it called?
Nadia: I was too scared to click! But that's our show for Tuesday, August 18th. We'll be back tomorrow.
Russ: Yep. In the meantime, what we're actually listening to is 'How Did This Get Made?' I'm re-listening to the Fast & Furious episodes. They're better than any official podcast could ever be. See you tomorrow.
This show is made with AI: the hosts’ voices are synthetic and the scripts are AI-assisted. Every story links to its original source.