Creators & Influencers > Podcasters
September 22, 2025
TV Advertising for Podcasters
Break through podcast discovery with TV
Table of Contents
There are over 5 million podcasts competing for listeners. Standing out requires reaching people where they're not expecting you: on their TV screen.
You've built a show worth listening to. Maybe hundreds of episodes, a dedicated audience, and content that genuinely helps people. But podcast discovery remains brutally difficult. Apple Podcasts and Spotify algorithms decide who finds your show, and the competition grows fiercer every day.
What if you could reach listeners before they ever opened a podcast app? What if they searched for your show by name instead of stumbling across it in browse categories?
Why Podcasters Are Discovering TV
The podcast landscape is crowded. Discovery within podcast apps is nearly impossible for shows without existing momentum or celebrity hosts.
The discovery problem:
5+ million podcasts competing for attention
Podcast app algorithms favor established shows
New listener acquisition costs keep rising
Word-of-mouth is slow and unpredictable
Social media organic reach keeps declining
What TV advertising offers:
Direct access to potential listeners outside podcast platforms
Brand building for your show and personal brand
The credibility of appearing on major streaming networks
A path to becoming a recognized voice in your niche
Accelerated audience growth that compounds over time
The most successful podcasts are building audiences through multiple channels. TV advertising is one of the most powerful and underused.
How It Works for Podcasters
TV advertising for podcasters works differently than social media ads or podcast cross-promos. You're not competing within the podcast ecosystem. You're reaching people in a completely different context.
The process:
Share your podcast. Enter your podcast website, Apple Podcasts link, Spotify URL, or any page about your show
AI creates your TV spot. Adwave generates a professional commercial featuring your show's branding and personality
Target your ideal listeners. Reach viewers based on interests that align with your podcast's topics
Launch on streaming TV. Your commercial runs on 100+ premium networks while viewers stream their favorite shows
Track downloads and growth. Monitor the impact on your listener numbers
What you're buying:
When you run TV ads, you're purchasing impressions on streaming platforms. Your 30-second commercial appears during shows your potential listeners watch. They see your podcast name, get a sense of your content, and hear what makes your show worth subscribing to.
The goal is recognition and recall. When someone who saw your ad is looking for something to listen to during their commute, they remember your show.
Targeting Options for Podcasts
TV advertising lets you reach people interested in topics related to your show. You're not showing your ad to everyone with a TV.
Interest-based targeting:
True crime podcasts: Target mystery and crime drama viewers
Business podcasts: Target news and documentary watchers
Comedy podcasts: Target sitcom and late-night viewers
Health podcasts: Target lifestyle and wellness content viewers
Sports podcasts: Target sports programming viewers
Tech podcasts: Target tech-forward audiences
Demographic targeting:
Age ranges that match your listener demographic
Education level (relevant for educational content)
Household income
Parental status (for parenting or family podcasts)
Geographic options:
National reach for broad audience building
Regional focus for locally-relevant content
Specific markets for live show promotion
Example targeting strategy for a business podcast:
Professionals ages 25-54
Interested in business news, finance, entrepreneurship
Higher household income ($75K+)
Urban and suburban markets
Budget Considerations
TV advertising is more accessible than most podcasters realize. You don't need a celebrity host budget to get started.
Starting budgets:
Test campaign: $100-200 to see how TV works for your show
Season launch: $500-1,000 to promote new seasons or special series
Ongoing growth: $300-500/month for consistent audience building
What you get for your money:
At an average CPM of $25 (cost per thousand impressions):
$100 delivers ~4,000 ad views
$500 delivers ~20,000 ad views
$1,000 delivers ~40,000 ad views
For context: a $500 campaign could show your podcast to 20,000 potential listeners during their favorite streaming shows. Even if 1% convert to listeners, that's 200 new subscribers.
Comparison to other podcast promotion:
Many podcasters spend money on:
Social media ads competing with infinite content
Podcast app advertising with high CPAs
Cross-promotion swaps that reach existing podcast listeners
TV advertising reaches people who aren't already podcast obsessives. You're expanding the pie, not fighting for the same slice.
The sponsor angle:
If you monetize through sponsorships, TV advertising demonstrates audience growth investment to potential sponsors. It's a differentiator that justifies premium rates and attracts bigger brands.
Creating Ads That Capture Your Show
Your TV commercial should give viewers a taste of what makes your podcast worth their time.
What works for podcast ads:
Lead with the hook: What's the most compelling thing about your show?
Feature your voice: Audio clips that showcase your hosting style
Show the hosts: People connect with faces and personalities
Clear show name: Make it easy to remember and search
Genre clarity: Viewers should know what kind of show it is instantly
What to avoid:
Generic "new podcast" messaging
Trying to explain everything your show covers
Forgetting to mention where to find the podcast
Low-quality audio clips that don't represent your production value
Adwave's AI tools can create professional commercials from your existing podcast artwork, episode clips, and website content. No video production experience required.
Timing Your Campaigns
Strategic timing amplifies your results.
New season launches:
Build awareness before a new season drops. Run TV ads 2-4 weeks before launch so potential listeners already know about your show when new episodes appear.
Guest episode promotion:
Landing a notable guest? Promote that episode specifically to maximize reach and demonstrate value to future guests.
Live show promotion:
For podcasters doing live events, local TV advertising in target cities drives ticket sales. Reach people who've never heard your show but would love it.
Award season:
Podcast award voting periods are perfect times to expand awareness. More listeners equals more potential voters.
Consistent weekly presence:
For shows with regular release schedules, ongoing TV advertising builds compounding recognition. Each week's ads reinforce the previous week's impressions.
Measuring Success
TV advertising measurement works differently than tracking podcast downloads directly from an ad click.
What to track:
Download spikes: Increases during and after campaigns
Branded searches: More people searching your podcast name
Website traffic: Direct visits to your podcast website
New subscriber patterns: Growth in followers on podcast apps
Listener quality: Are new listeners engaging with multiple episodes?
Revenue impact: Sponsor inquiries, Patreon growth, live event sales
Setting expectations:
TV advertising builds awareness over time. Someone who sees your ad might not subscribe immediately. But when they're looking for a new podcast to try, your show will be familiar and feel like a safer bet.
The compounding effect is real. Consistent TV presence builds recognition that converts over weeks and months, not days.
Attracting Sponsors with TV
For podcasters who monetize through advertising, TV presence is a powerful selling point.
Why sponsors care:
TV advertising demonstrates investment in audience growth
It shows you're building a brand, not just recording episodes
Mainstream visibility differentiates you from thousands of other shows
Sponsors want partners who take marketing seriously
Pitching with TV:
Include your TV advertising in sponsor pitch decks. Show potential advertisers that you're actively building audience beyond organic growth. It justifies premium CPMs and attracts bigger brands.
Getting Started
Ready to grow your podcast with TV?
Step 1: Gather your assets Collect your podcast artwork, episode clips that showcase your best content, and photos of hosts if applicable.
Step 2: Define your audience Who listens to your podcast? What are they interested in? What TV shows do they watch?
Step 3: Set a test budget Start with $100-200 to learn how TV advertising works for your specific show.
Step 4: Create your ad Use Adwave to generate a professional commercial from your existing content. The AI creates TV-ready creative in minutes.
Step 5: Launch and track Run your campaign, monitor download patterns, and refine based on what you learn.
Ready to Break Through?
Your podcast deserves more listeners than the algorithm allows you to reach. TV advertising builds the recognition that turns channel surfers into subscribers and helps potential listeners find you before they open their podcast app.
Adwave makes TV advertising accessible for podcasters at any level. Create a professional commercial promoting your show, target listeners most likely to love your content, and see your podcast on the same screen as major networks.
Your competition is fighting for attention within podcast apps. It's time to reach listeners before they ever open Spotify.