Russ: Sixty-three percent of us are apparently time-traveling through our podcasts.
Nadia: I'm Nadia.
Russ: And I'm Russ.
Nadia: And this is Feed Drop for Thursday, September 24th. We're breaking down the three biggest stories in podcasting.
Nadia: Coming up: Acast just dropped a survey declaring the war on podcast formats is officially over.
Russ: We're also digging into a new report that finds video spending in Asia is about to hit a staggering number.
Nadia: And we'll take you inside Variety's Power of Women event, where the line between Hollywood and podcasting has all but disappeared.
Nadia: Alright, let's start with Acast. They just put out their new 'Podcast Pulse' survey, which was sponsored by The Podglomerate.
Russ: Right, and their big headline is that 63% of listeners are 'format shifting'. What does that even mean?
Nadia: It means they aren't just listening to the newest episode that drops in their feed. They're jumping around, listening to back-catalog episodes, binging old series...
Russ: Wait— so... just listening to a podcast? How is this a new discovery? I do that all the time. Isn't that the whole point of on-demand audio?
Nadia: [laughs] That's Acast's point exactly. They're saying 'the format argument is over.' We have to stop thinking about podcasts like appointment radio and start thinking about them as on-demand libraries.
Russ: Okay, so who is this 'argument' with? This feels like Acast is just stating the obvious and dressing it up as a revelation to sell more ads.
Nadia: You nailed it. This is a tool to convince advertisers that the back catalog is just as valuable as the latest episode—it’s all about monetizing the entire library.
Russ: So this isn't a story for listeners, it's a sales deck for advertisers. 'Hey, pay us for ads on five-year-old episodes!' Groundbreaking.
Nadia: I mean, it is a key strategy for creators. And to be fair, the sponsor, The Podglomerate, has a whole guide on how to market your show as an evergreen product.
Russ: Fine. But for the actual listener, the takeaway is... keep doing what you're already doing. Got it.
Russ: Okay, next up, we're going from podcast formats to... Hollywood-level money.
Nadia: Huge money. A new report from Media Partners Asia says video spending across seven key Asian markets is set to hit $15.1 billion by 2026.
Russ: Hold on. Fifteen billion? For video? Nadia, are you sure you're on the right podcast? This is Feed Drop, we talk about audio.
Nadia: [laughs] Stick with me, I promise. This is a huge signal for us. When that much money floods a region for video, it builds an entire content ecosystem.
Russ: So you're saying it's a rising tide that lifts all boats? All that video money will somehow splash onto podcasts?
Nadia: Exactly. The investment builds studios, develops local talent, and proves the hunger for local-language content is there. Audio is just a much cheaper and faster way to meet that demand.
Russ: Okay, so if you're Spotify or another big audio player, you see this $15 billion video bet and think, 'We can get a piece of that market for a fraction of the cost'.
Nadia: That is the play. It de-risks the whole idea of investing in local audio. This report is a giant green light for any podcast company looking to expand in Asia.
Nadia: Alright, for our last story, let's head to Beverly Hills, where Variety just held its star-studded Power of Women event.
Russ: Right, honoring people like Jennifer Hudson, Sharon Stone, Melissa McCarthy... huge stars. But again, where's the podcast connection, besides the fact that every celebrity now has one?
Nadia: Well, that's a big part of it. But for us, the key name is honoree Pearlena Igbokwe, Chairman of Universal Studio Group. This is about the complete fusion of Hollywood power and the audio world.
Russ: So it's not a party, it's a memo: the biggest players in traditional media are officially claiming podcasting as part of their territory.
Nadia: It's their IP pipeline. A podcast becomes a TV show for Universal. A movie star like Melissa McCarthy uses her podcast network appearances to promote a film. The wall between the industries is gone. It's just 'content'.
Russ: And an event like this solidifies those relationships. It's Hollywood reminding everyone who really holds the power and the marketing budgets.
Nadia: Exactly. The headline from the Variety piece says it all: 'No One Achieves Anything Alone.' In today's media world, that basically means you need a major studio or celebrity to break through.
Russ: [dry] 'No One Achieves Anything Alone'... unless you're an indie podcaster trying to compete with Jennifer Hudson's production team.
Russ: So, to recap: Acast confirmed that people… listen to old podcast episodes.
Nadia: A $15 billion video investment wave in Asia is about to create a massive opportunity for audio.
Russ: And Hollywood has made it clear: podcasting is just another wing in its ever-expanding content mansion.
Nadia: Alright Russ, before we go, what are you actually listening to?
Russ: I'm deep into 'The Rest Is History.' Their new series on the fall of the Aztec Empire is just phenomenal storytelling. Pure narrative, no fluff. What about you?
Nadia: I'm recommending 'The Journal' from the Wall Street Journal. They just did an investigation into the cobalt mining supply chain that was... really powerful. Hard-hitting stuff.
Nadia: That's our show for Thursday, September 24th.
Russ: Feed Drop will be back in your feed tomorrow. Try not to... 'format shift' away from it. [laughs]
This show is made with AI: the hosts’ voices are synthetic and the scripts are AI-assisted. Every story links to its original source.