Freakonomics Radio · October 9, 2026 · 01:01:50

690. It’s Show Business, Baby!

Ben Davis, Jeanine Wright, Jenna Weiss-Berman, Jim Bankoff, Will Page

Podcasting has grown from a niche hobby to a $9 billion global industry. Freakonomics Radio examines the strange economics behind the medium, covering standardized measurement efforts through the AMP Accords, the growing role of AI tools in production and discovery, media consolidation moves like James Murdoch's Vox acquisition, and the surge of direct listener support via platforms like Patreon, where podcasters earned $629 million in 2025.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Preview

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Podcasting's $9 Billion Economy

The global podcast industry reached $9.2 billion in revenue in 2025, growing 23% year over year.

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The AMP Accords and Podcast Measurement

The Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting introduced standardized metrics to address inconsistent download counts and ad attribution.

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