Q1 2026 saw podcast ad spending continue to increase and particularly across travel, retail and finance categories. ARN’s iHeart and Magellan AI’s quarterly report of their top 10 advertisers saw Airbnb, Shopify, and McDonald’s the top three and, across content, ad load the strongest in the News genre (6.30%).
Magellan AI’s key findings from this quarter:
• +34% Y/Y spend: Australian podcast ad spending continued to climb year-over-year
• 6 of 10 repeat top-10 spenders: Six of the top 10 spenders in Q1 were also top spenders in Q4 ’25. Top brands include Airbnb, Shopify, and McDonald’s.
• 6.43% ad load: Ad load fell slightly from 6.52% in Q4, to 6.43% this quarter.
You can download the Magellan AI Australia Podcast Advertising Benchmark Report Q1 2026 here.
Airbnb ranked as the top podcast advertiser for this quarter, Entain Group, a gambling company, was No 1 Q3 2025 in the lead up to the NRL and AFL Grand Finals. They still featured at #7 Q1.
The data also indicated a shifted momentum across categories, with Insurance, Bedding, Investing, Business Services & Software and Travel experiencing the biggest growth.
Across content, ad load remained strongest in News, followed by Arts (6.03%), True Crime (5.25%), Health & Fitness (4.86%) and Business (4.73%).
The full Top 10 advertisers for Q1 2026 were:
- Airbnb
- Shopify
- McDonald’s
- CommBank
- Wise
- Harvey Norman
- Entain Group
- BetterHelp
- Aussie Broadband
- Coles
Corey Layton, ARN’s Head of Digital Audio, said:
“In 2025, podcasting continued to cement itself as a critical channel for brands to leverage the deep connection that creators have with their communities. This year’s data shows advertisers across every category recognising its impact and increasing investment accordingly. From major national players to fast‑growing sectors, marketers are leaning into podcasts because they deliver attention, trust and results when it matters most.”
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