In a study of over 450 of the top podcasts, Pew Research found that True Crime tops the list when it comes to the biggest shows. Of the top podcasts examined, 24% were True Crime.
Why do people love True Crime podcasts? “Podcasting’s intimate nature makes it an especially effective vehicle for True Crime storytelling,” said Steve Mondor, Podcast Operations at SMI. “A large percentage of women are drawn to true crime stories for the thrill and storytelling aspect, like watching a thriller movie. And True Crime podcasts are evergreen, so you can relisten years later.”
Combining the growth of True Crime podcasts with SMI’s expertise in campaign management has yielded strong KPI performance for our clients. Our large pool of quality shows to choose from enables us to effectively grow and scale campaigns. SMI’s Podcast Team regularly meets with podcast hosts to review brand goals and to ensure hosts are prepared to deliver a compelling ad read. Podcast ads delivered by hosts who speak personally about their experience with a product or service have proven especially effective for our clients.
According to Magellan AI, in 2023, True Crime Genre generated over $177M in podcast ad sales, more than 2.7 times greater than in 2020. In 2023 True Crime was the 6th largest Genre in spend behind Sports, News, Comedy, Society & Culture, and Business.
From 2021 to 2023, True Crime saw a 34% in spend growth.
True Crime: From 2021-2023 spend increased by $45M (34%)
True Crime is just one of the many genre types that has experienced significant growth over the past few years. Sports, Comedy, and Society & Culture are a few other genres that have collectively experienced tremendous growth and provide excellent options for overall campaign growth.
Are you ready to reach large, loyal audiences to grow your brand on podcasts? Contact SMI today.