AudioGo adds true crime and comedy podcasts to January inventory

AudioGo announced today the expansion of its podcast inventory with new shows from the SiriusXM Podcast Network and culturally relevant programming from leading publisher partners, according to a January 14, 2026 announcement. The additions include some of the most recognizable podcast names and personalities across true crime, comedy, sports, and culture categories.

The expanded inventory provides advertisers access to audiences that may not have realized were available through the platform. AudioGo operates as a self-serve audio advertising platform from AdsWizz, enabling campaigns across podcast players including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and others.

SiriusXM Podcast Network additions

The new inventory from the SiriusXM Podcast Network includes several high-engagement shows. MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories commands a highly engaged fanbase drawn to suspenseful, long-form narratives. SiriusXM secured an exclusive deal with MrBallen in October 2025, adding the show to its network beginning November 1 with exclusive distribution rights for both the podcast and MrBallen's YouTube channel.

What Now? with Trevor Noah blends thoughtful conversation, humor, and current topics. The podcast extends beyond traditional news or comedy listeners to reach a broad, educated, and culturally engaged audience, according to the announcement. Trevor Noah's global cultural presence provides advertisers connection points with audiences that span multiple demographic segments.

Morbid consistently attracts loyal listeners who spend significant time with each episode, making it ideal for storytelling brands and mid- to upper-funnel campaigns, according to AudioGo. The podcast joined the SiriusXM Podcast Networkthrough a multi-year exclusive agreement announced in July 2025, bringing the top-ranking true crime show to the platform starting September 1.

The Stephen A. Smith Show reaches fans deeply invested in sports, culture, and opinion-driven content. Stephen A. Smith represents one of the most recognizable voices in sports media, offering advertisers access to a passionate, opinion-leading audience at scale, according to the announcement.

Comedy and lifestyle programming

Stavvy's World attracts a dedicated following through its authentic, conversational tone. The comedy podcast suits brands looking to align with humor-driven content and younger, comedy-forward listeners, according to AudioGo.

SmartLess Media produced shows I Need You Guys and We Need A Fourth tap into a comedy-loving audience that values personality-driven content and long-form conversation. These shows offer brands strong host alignment and listener trust opportunities, according to the announcement.

Not So Little with Kendall Vertes resonates with younger listeners interested in lifestyle, growth, and pop culture. The show offers advertisers access to an audience that blends mainstream appeal with niche engagement, according to AudioGo.

Multicultural podcast network expansion

AudioGo expanded inventory to help advertisers reach diverse and multicultural audiences through specific podcast networks. Amplified Voices centers on Black voices and perspectives, featuring programming that spans culture, news, and social commentary. Advertising alongside these shows allows brands to engage listeners through authentic, trusted voices and culturally relevant storytelling, according to the announcement.

DXKulture and Stay Tranquilo represent the number one U.S. Hispanic podcast network, reaching Millennial and Gen Z listeners through Spanish-language and bicultural content. For advertisers, this means meaningful access to Spanish-speaking and multicultural audiences at scale—audiences that are often difficult to reach through traditional media buys, according to AudioGo.

Hispanic consumers demonstrate 62% higher likelihood of calling phone numbers from podcast advertisements compared to the general population, according to Nielsen data from September 2025. Radio and podcasts command 79% of all daily audio time with advertising-supported platforms among Hispanic audiences. Radio reached 93% of Hispanics monthly in Q1 2025.

Market context and implications

The expansion arrives as podcast advertising spending surged 26% year-over-year in Q3 2025, with 1,689 brands advertising on podcasts for the first time during that quarter. Gaming industry spending increased 59% compared to the previous year, representing the fastest growth among all industries analyzed.

Podcast advertisers concentrate spend on narrow demographic slices while systematically excluding valuable audiences, according to a comprehensive analysis of 50,000 podcasts across five major markets released in December 2025. Advertisers directed 43.5% of all age-targeted impressions to the 25-34 demographic during the analysis period, representing more than double the concentration of any other age segment.

The SiriusXM Podcast Network ranks as the largest in the nation by reach, as measured by Edison Research. SiriusXM Media reaches more than 170 million listeners monthly, with podcast advertising revenue climbing nearly 50% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025.

However, a persistent gap remains between consumer engagement with audio content and advertiser investment. Consumers dedicate 31% of their media time to audio platforms, while advertisers allocate only 9% of their budgets to audio advertising, creating a 22% gap that suggests substantial growth potential.

Platform capabilities and access

AudioGo enables advertisers to reach over 170 million listeners through partnerships that include SiriusXM, according to the announcement. The platform operates on audience buying principles, where advertisers choose target audiences and the system matches advertisements to appropriate listeners across top podcasts and publishers.

The self-serve platform launches campaigns starting at $250, according to AudioGo documentation. Advertisers without audio content can choose between $10 studio recordings with real voice actors delivered in 48 hours, or free on-demand AI-generated spots created in seconds.

Targeting capabilities include age group selection, gender targeting, location-based parameters at state, city, or zip code levels, device targeting, brand safety controls, ad position selection, podcast audience targeting based on interests and user personas, and podcast topic targeting based on content listeners enjoy, according to platform documentation.

AudioGo launched Dynamic Pricing on February 3, 2025, an automated bid-based pricing model that aims to optimize advertising spend by automatically adjusting bids to secure targeted audience impressions at competitive rates. Beta testing data revealed advertisers experienced a 20-25% increase in targeted audience impressions while maintaining the same budget allocation.

Programmatic audio infrastructure

Amazon and SiriusXM expanded programmatic audio reach through strategic DSP integration announced September 16, 2025. The partnership provides marketers using Amazon DSP access to SiriusXM Media's extensive digital audio portfolio, including Pandora and SoundCloud U.S. The integration marks the first time brands can seamlessly reach SiriusXM Media's 160 million monthly digital listeners through Amazon's demand-side platform.

Programmatic audio advertising will shift toward curation, identity resolution, and video integration in 2026, according to predictions from Sharon Taylor, Chief Revenue Officer at Triton Digital, shared December 5, 2025. Audio will become a fully omnichannel, identity-powered medium rather than modernizing in isolation. Streaming, podcasts, and broadcast radio will become identity-infused and programmatically available through enterprise demand-side platforms, enabling true deduplicated reach and unified frequency control.

iHeartMedia and TikTok launched a creator podcast network with 25 shows announced November 10, 2025. The partnership creates the TikTok Podcast Network featuring up to 25 podcasts hosted by TikTok creators, establishing new revenue streams for creators through podcast advertising, radio exposure, and live event opportunities.

Measurement and targeting advances

Triton Digital launched enhanced podcast ranking data on August 19, 2025, introducing audience intelligence features that enable advertisers to target specific demographic segments and purchase intent behaviors. The Q2 2025 U.S. Podcast Ranker incorporates three new planning tools designed to help marketers identify shows that align with their target audiences, delivering insights across more than 40 demographic and purchase intent segments.

The methodology combines traditional download measurements with survey data collected in collaboration with Signal Hill Insights. Podcast listener quotas align with U.S. Census Bureau demographics across age, gender, education, region, and race categories. Limiting advertising spend to the top 50 podcasts restricts total possible reach to only 49% of monthly podcast consumers, according to Triton Digital.

Washington Post partnered with Triton Digital on November 13, 2025, for podcast monetization strategy. The agreement grants Triton Digital control over The Post's entire podcast technology stack, including the Triton Ad Platform for programmatic advertisement transactions, Triton Audio Marketplace for inventory distribution, the Demos+ targeting system for demographic segmentation, and Podcast Metrics for audience measurement.

Video podcast monetization growth

Audioboom reported revenue of $20.4 million and profit of $1.2 million for the third quarter of 2025, marking an 18% year-on-year increase announced October 16, 2025. The company now generates over 13% of its overall business from video revenue. Audioboom ranked number one on Podscribe's video chart in the United States, hosting 12 of the top 100 video podcasts.

Video podcast monetization demonstrates premium pricing capabilities. Data from June 2025 showed revenue per mille figures for video content exceeded traditional audio-only podcast advertising rates. Video content typically commands higher advertiser rates due to increased engagement opportunities and expanded creative possibilities.

Industry consolidation and competition

The podcast advertising market continues experiencing structural changes as platforms work to capture growing advertiser interest. Host-read advertisements represented 46.0% of total quarterly spending in Q3 2025, up from 43.8% in Q3 2024, according to Magellan AI. This format increased 32% in absolute spending terms year-over-year.

Produced advertisements accounted for 26.0% of spending, climbing 67% year-over-year. Scale executions including programmatic and run-of-network buys represented 28.0% of spending, remaining essentially flat year-over-year.

The top 10 advertisers in Q3 spent an estimated $135 million, representing a 6% increase from Q2. BetterHelp maintained its position as the largest podcast advertiser with $18.6 million in estimated spending. Sports podcasts attracted approximately 20% of new brands making them the most popular genre for first-time podcast advertisers.

Technical infrastructure developments

AudioGo operates as part of the AdsWizz infrastructure, which provides the technical foundation for programmatic audio advertising across multiple platforms. AdsWizz serves as the supply-side platform facilitating connections between inventory sources and demand-side platforms, ensuring efficient ad serving and campaign optimization.

The platform supports targeting across multiple dimensions including demographics, location parameters, device types, brand safety controls, and podcast-specific characteristics. Real-time reporting provides impression delivery, clicks, listen-through rates, click-through rates, and conversion tracking.

Frequency management addresses both low and high frequency issues that can affect campaign effectiveness. Low frequency often results from overly narrow targeting or insufficient budgets, limiting reach and impact. High frequency can lead to ad fatigue where listeners become desensitized to messages due to overexposure.

For awareness campaigns that aim to increase brand or product recognition, narrow targeting combined with repetitive calls-to-action in audio ads ensures messages remain both relevant and memorable. For reach-focused campaigns that aim to maximize unique listeners, broader targeting strategies allow advertisers to spread messages across wider audiences.

The expanded inventory availability through AudioGo provides additional options for advertisers seeking to test podcast advertising with recognizable shows or to expand reach and deepen frequency within existing campaigns. The platform consolidates access to thousands of top podcast shows across the AudioGo network, according to the announcement.

Timeline

• January 14, 2026: AudioGo announces expanded podcast inventory with new shows from SiriusXM Podcast Network and multicultural publishers
• December 7, 2025: Programmatic audio predicted to shift toward curation and identity in 2026
• December 2025: Podcast advertisers concentrate 43.5% of impressions on 25-34 demographic
• November 16, 2025: iHeartMedia and TikTok launch creator podcast network with 25 shows
• November 14, 2025: Washington Post partners with Triton Digital for podcast infrastructure
• November 9, 2025: Podcast advertising spending surges 26% in Q3 2025
• November 1, 2025: SiriusXM reports podcast advertising revenue up nearly 50% in Q3
• October 27, 2025: SiriusXM secures exclusive MrBallen podcast deal
• October 16, 2025: Audioboom reports 18% revenue growth driven by video podcasts
• September 16, 2025: Amazon and SiriusXM expand programmatic audio reach through DSP integration
• September 11, 2025: Hispanic consumers demonstrate 62% higher response to podcast ads
• August 19, 2025: Triton Digital launches advanced podcast audience targeting
• July 2025: Morbid joins SiriusXM Podcast Network exclusively
• February 3, 2025: AudioGo launches Dynamic Pricing automated bidding

Summary

Who: AudioGo, the self-serve audio advertising platform from AdsWizz, announced the expanded inventory. The additions include shows from the SiriusXM Podcast Network, Amplified Voices, DXKulture, and Stay Tranquilo podcast networks. Hosts include Trevor Noah, MrBallen, Stephen A. Smith, Kendall Vertes, and others.

What: AudioGo expanded its podcast advertising inventory with new shows from SiriusXM Podcast Network including MrBallen Podcast, What Now? with Trevor Noah, Morbid, The Stephen A. Smith Show, Stavvy's World, I Need You Guys, We Need A Fourth, and Not So Little with Kendall Vertes. The expansion includes multicultural programming from Amplified Voices (Black voices and perspectives), DXKulture, and Stay Tranquilo (number one U.S. Hispanic podcast network).

When: AudioGo announced the inventory expansion on January 14, 2026. The new shows became available for advertising through the platform as of the announcement date.

Where: The expanded inventory reaches listeners across major podcast players including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn, Stitcher, SiriusXM, SoundCloud, Sonos, and Overcast. AudioGo operates as a self-serve platform accessible through its website, enabling advertisers to launch campaigns targeting over 170 million listeners through partnerships that include SiriusXM.

Why: The expansion addresses several market needs. Podcast advertising spending increased 26% year-over-year in Q3 2025, with 1,689 brands testing the channel for the first time. A persistent gap remains between consumer engagement (31% of media time) and advertiser investment (9% of budgets) in audio platforms. The additions provide advertisers access to audiences that may not have realized were available through AudioGo, enabling campaign expansion into top-ranked, culturally relevant podcasts across true crime, comedy, sports, culture, and lifestyle genres. The multicultural inventory addresses difficulty reaching Spanish-speaking and diverse audiences through traditional media buys.