Netflix takes on YouTube with video podcasts, a win for advertisers

As podcasts pivot to video, they’re finally getting their red-carpet moment.

Spotify’s Good Hang With Amy Poehler became the first-ever winner of the Golden Globes’ new podcast category on Sunday night. If there was still any doubt, the prime-time honor formalizes that podcasts are no longer a niche medium.

That same night, Netflix quietly premiered the first episode of The Ringer’s The Bill Simmons Podcast on its platform, a culmination of its recent interest in video podcasts — intensifying competition among the biggest players in digital media. The move placed Netflix and Spotify, which owns The Ringer, into more direct competition with YouTube, where video podcasts have surged in popularity.

Both moments underscored a broader shift: Podcasts are evolving from an audio-first channel into a video business with growing cultural relevance, giving advertisers even more premium opportunities to reach audiences who want to engage across multiple senses. The Globes even introduced the podcast nominees with video clips, something the film and television actors didn’t get.

For advertisers, video podcasts make advertising opportunities more “dynamic,” said Blake Droesch, senior analyst and director of client value at EMarketer.

“It has now evolved into a medium that consumers are actively watching, which enhances the opportunity for more immersive brand marketing ads, but also direct-response advertising.”

Video podcasts move to center stage

Netflix’s entry into hosting video podcasts — beginning with Bill Simmons and continuing this year with deals with iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports — reflects where the industry is headed next.

Video podcasts are becoming the format of choice for platforms looking to extend reach, increase discoverability and unlock new ad inventory. As Netflix joins Spotify and YouTube in competing for podcast dominance, the market is consolidating around a small group of global players.

Spotify has leaned heavily into video, first introducing the video podcast format in 2024. The company signed a deal to stream ITV content in the U.K. this past fall and, in December, added music videos for all U.S. subscribers.

On a recent episode of The Big Impression, Brian Berner, global head of advertising and partnerships at Spotify, shared that “younger consumers are seeking more visual content on Spotify, starting with podcasts.”

Meanwhile, YouTube remains the largest podcast platform by usage, but Netflix’s move could bring premium production values, and a massive global audience, into the mix.

But why exactly are streaming giants suddenly coalescing around video podcasts? Simply put, consumers are craving it. On YouTube, more than half of U.S. podcast consumers (53%) prefer watching podcasts rather than listening, according to a 2025 report, and, on Spotify, 3 in 10 users watch over traditionally tuning in.

What it means for advertisers

Podcasts — supported with video or not — are making a business case.

U.S. podcast ad spend is expected to surpass $3 billion for the first time this year and will reach $4.02 billion by 2029, according to a new report from EMarketer, continuing a streak of double-digit growth.

That growth is driven less by scale than by attention. Nearly half of U.S. podcast listeners (46%) say they never skip episodes of their favorite shows, according to a recent survey from The Trade Desk Intelligence and YouGov. In an ecosystem defined by scroll fatigue and skippable ads, podcasts offer something increasingly rare: intentional consumption. Podcasts now account for a meaningful share of overall digital audio spend (nearly 40%), according to the EMarketer report. But they still only make up a tiny portion of all digital ad spend, leaving plenty of opportunity for advertisers.

According to Standard Media Index pool data, Americans consume digital audio at six times the rate advertisers invest in audio.

“Podcasts will never rival CTV or social media in terms of ad spend, but the integration of podcasts into these platforms will be integral to their long-term growth,” Droesch said.

The move toward video means more robust measurement and targeting opportunities, longer content cycles, higher brand recall and potentially new immersive ad formats, Droesch added.

At the IAB’s Podcast Upfront last year, Bob Hunt, senior director of audio at ad agency Hearts & Science, called the move to video a “natural evolution of the industry.”

“It shows how advertisers are having more options than ever before.”

But it also means the line is blurring between podcasts, talk shows and streaming originals on platforms like Netflix.

“Eventually, it may become difficult to distinguish podcasts from more general content on these platforms, but the creators that produce podcasts and the ads that are sold against the time spent consuming this content will fuel their growth,” Droesch said.

Sunday’s developments made one thing clear: Podcasts have moved from the margins to the main stage. The next phase of growth won’t be about convincing advertisers to test advertising in podcasts; it will be about what platform they should appear on — and perhaps what awards the shows are up for.

The Current is owned and operated by The Trade Desk Inc.