The Vox Media Podcast Network presents at the 2022 IAB Podcast Upfront

On Wednesday, May 11th, Vox Media presented at the 2022 IAB Podcast Upfront, with Nilay Patel, editor-in-chief of The Verge and host of Decoder with Nilay Patel and The Vergecast, speaking with talent from across the Vox Media Podcast Network, including Stay Tuned with Preet host Preet Bharara, Criminal host Phoebe Judge, Pivot co-hosts Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway, Today, Explained hosts Sean Rameswaram and Noel King, New York Magazine editorial director for audio Hanna Rosin, Sam Sanders, and more, for a special presentation highlighting how the Vox Media Podcast Network is covering what’s relevant now, exploring what’s next, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Patel touted a year of growth for the Vox Media Podcast Network, which doubled its monthly downloads across the network, acquired Criminal Productions and Cafe Studios, and struck partnerships with shows including The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway, Longform, Gastropod, and Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast. Named by Adweek as 2021’s “Hottest in Podcasting,” the Vox Media Podcast Network expanded its reach to listeners across every major content category, from news, science, and tech to history, food, business, sports and true crime.

Highlights from the session included:

• Criminal host Phoebe Judge on what fans can expect from the show this year: “Since we joined Vox Media, we’ve been dramatically growing our team so we can bring more Criminal to our fans. By the end of the year, we’ll have doubled our team. Our goal is to release more episodes of Criminal every month as well as continue to release more episodes of This Is Love. We also have plans for two serialized stories that we hope to be able to announce soon.”
• Cafe co-founder and Stay Tuned host Preet Bharara on Cafe’s priorities for the year: “One of the things we’re going to continue to do is focus on the issues that are our bread and butter. We’re also very excited that we’re going to continue with Now & Then, our history podcast. We have the second season of our true crime podcast Up Against The Mob hosted by my former colleague at the U.S. Attorney’s office, Elie Honig.”
• Today, Explained co-host Noel King on why downloads for the show are higher than they’ve ever been: “It’s one of those times in history where everything is very complicated, and a show like ours is there to help make it make sense. . . .People are looking for a place where they can go – at the end of the day, at the beginning of the day – that better explains the world around them.”
• New audience data showing how the Vox Media Podcast Network has particular influence among business decision makers: One quarter of Vox Media’s podcast listeners are executives or business owners. And our audience isn’t just passively listening… they’re taking real action. Nearly 70% have sought more information on a brand or service that they heard about from a Vox Media podcast. Read more insights about the Vox Media Podcast Network’s audience here.

The session also teased new shows from New York Magazine, including a forthcoming culture and entertainment podcast from Sanders, who joined the Vox Media Podcast Network earlier this year from NPR, and a second season of New York’s hit investigative series podcast, Cover Story.

Watch or listen to Vox Media’s full 2022 IAB Podcast Upfront presentation and explore Vox Media Podcast Network’s full slate at https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/.

About Vox Media Podcast Network

Named by Adweek as 2021’s “Hottest in Podcasts,” Vox Media Podcast Network has over 150 active shows featuring industry-leading editorial voices and storytellers from Vox Media’s networks and beyond. From daily news and tech to culture and sports, and talk and interview shows to news and rich narrative storytelling, the Vox Media Podcast Network is one of the largest, fastest-growing, and most topically diverse collections of premium podcasts. Learn more about the Vox Media Podcast Network here.