690. It’s Show Business, Baby!

About this episode

Podcasting started as a niche-nerd pursuit. Now it’s a $9 billion industry. Is that a lot? The strange economics of this thing we do. • SOURCES:• Jim Bankoff, chairman and C.E.O. of Vox Media. • Ben Davis, head of digital at WME. • Will Page, former chief economist at Spotify and author of Pivot. • Jenna Weiss-Berman, head of Paper Kite Audio and executive producer of Good Hang with Amy Poehler. • Jeanine Wright, co-founder and C.E.O. of Liquid Studios (Inception Point AI). • RESOURCES:• "U.S. AI infrastructure buildout is surpassing every prior investment in American history," by Cris Tolomia (Quartz, 2026). • "The AMP Accords," (Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting, 2026). • "Owl & Co: Global Podcast Economy Grew 23% To $9.2 Billion In 2025." (Inside Radio, 2026). • "James Murdoch to Buy New York Magazine, Other Vox Assets for Around $300 Million," by Isabella Simonetti and Jessica Toonkel (The Wall Street Journal, 2026). • "Patreon Says Podcasters Earned $629 Million in 2025, Up 33%, as Platform's Biggest Content Category Keeps Growing," by Todd Spangler (Variety, 2026). • EXTRAS:• "How to Think About A.I.," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023). • "How Spotify Saved