Podcasts launched before March 2020 deliver superior advertiser returns compared to newer shows, according to December 2025 data from Oxford Road‘s ORBIT benchmark tool.
The analysis draws from actual campaign data representing more than 500 advertisers and $1.6 billion in annual spending. According to the findings, 75% of top-performing podcasts in the current rankings launched before the pandemic.
Top Performers Span Multiple Genres
The December 2025 rankings identify 15 “OG” podcasts – shows that began publishing before March 2020 – based on advertiser results over the past 12 months.
“Critical Role,” a leisure-genre podcast published by Pandora Media LLC/SXM Media, ranks first. “Explain It to Me,” a news podcast from Vox Media Inc, holds second place. “The Monday Morning Podcast” from Impressions.fm takes third.
The top 15 list spans nine different genres, including comedy, education, business, history, government, alternative health, and true crime. Other shows in the rankings include “Young and Profiting with Hala Taha,” “The Side Hustle Show,” “The Tim Ferriss Show,” “Lore,” “Game Scoop!,” “Biggerpockets Money Podcast,” “Strict Scrutiny,” “Pod Save America,” “Pantsuit Politics,” “Mindful in Minutes Meditation,” “Crime Junkie,” and “The Ben Shapiro Show.”
Efficiency Premium and Cost Disparities
OG shows carry a 12% efficiency premium over newer entrants. One unnamed high-profile show costs nearly 19 times more per advertising placement than “Critical Role,” yet “Critical Role” delivers superior conversion results, according to the report.
“This data proves what we all know in our hearts: trust deepens over time,” says Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford Road. “Time-tested content may not have the same wow factor as the hottest new podcast, but the hosts have years of relational capital built up with their audience. This translates into higher conversion rates and better LTV (Lifetime Value).”
No Single Winning Category
The diversity of genres among top performers indicates that no single podcast category dominates advertiser returns. Publishers represented include Young And Profiting LLC, Seneca And Marcus LLC, Libsyn, Realm Of Possibility Inc, Westwood One, Crooked Media, Acast, and The Daily Wire.
ORBIT normalizes performance across different advertiser objectives and tracks ROI rather than download counts or impression metrics. The tool requires minimum thresholds for inclusion: at least three distinct advertisers per show, at least three paid placements per advertiser, and at least 50% of placements exceeding advertiser goals.
Image credits: Oxford Road The full report is available here
Nii A. Ahene is the founder and managing director of Net Influencer, a website dedicated to offering insights into the influencer marketing industry. Together with its newsletter, Influencer Weekly, Net Influencer provides news, commentary, and analysis of the events shaping the creator and influencer marketing space. Through interviews with startups, influencers, brands, and platforms, Nii and his team explore how influencer marketing is being effectively used to benefit businesses and personal brands alike.
Podcasts launched before March 2020 deliver superior advertiser returns compared to newer shows, according to December 2025 data from Oxford Road‘s ORBIT benchmark tool.
The analysis draws from actual campaign data representing more than 500 advertisers and $1.6 billion in annual spending. According to the findings, 75% of top-performing podcasts in the current rankings launched before the pandemic.
Top Performers Span Multiple Genres
The December 2025 rankings identify 15 “OG” podcasts – shows that began publishing before March 2020 – based on advertiser results over the past 12 months.
“Critical Role,” a leisure-genre podcast published by Pandora Media LLC/SXM Media, ranks first. “Explain It to Me,” a news podcast from Vox Media Inc, holds second place. “The Monday Morning Podcast” from Impressions.fm takes third.
The top 15 list spans nine different genres, including comedy, education, business, history, government, alternative health, and true crime. Other shows in the rankings include “Young and Profiting with Hala Taha,” “The Side Hustle Show,” “The Tim Ferriss Show,” “Lore,” “Game Scoop!,” “Biggerpockets Money Podcast,” “Strict Scrutiny,” “Pod Save America,” “Pantsuit Politics,” “Mindful in Minutes Meditation,” “Crime Junkie,” and “The Ben Shapiro Show.”
Efficiency Premium and Cost Disparities
OG shows carry a 12% efficiency premium over newer entrants. One unnamed high-profile show costs nearly 19 times more per advertising placement than “Critical Role,” yet “Critical Role” delivers superior conversion results, according to the report.
“This data proves what we all know in our hearts: trust deepens over time,” says Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford Road. “Time-tested content may not have the same wow factor as the hottest new podcast, but the hosts have years of relational capital built up with their audience. This translates into higher conversion rates and better LTV (Lifetime Value).”
No Single Winning Category
The diversity of genres among top performers indicates that no single podcast category dominates advertiser returns. Publishers represented include Young And Profiting LLC, Seneca And Marcus LLC, Libsyn, Realm Of Possibility Inc, Westwood One, Crooked Media, Acast, and The Daily Wire.
ORBIT normalizes performance across different advertiser objectives and tracks ROI rather than download counts or impression metrics. The tool requires minimum thresholds for inclusion: at least three distinct advertisers per show, at least three paid placements per advertiser, and at least 50% of placements exceeding advertiser goals.
Image credits: Oxford Road
The full report is available here
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