Spotify’s video podcasts hijacked talk TV playbook

SPOTIFYTECHNOLOGY'S LIST of its top podcasts of the year didn’t offer much in the way of surprises—Joe Rogan, for example, is number one yet again, for the fifth year in a row.

- JASON BAILEY

But one stat is noteworthy: Nearly half of those shows, 24 of the 50, also have a video version streaming on the platform. And Spotify video consumption has more than doubled year-over-year, thanks largely to podcasts.It’s a striking explosion in popularity for what was once seen as an audio-only medium, and a telling one as well. The surge suggests audiences miss the cultural ubiquity once held by traditional talk shows and are seeking a version of it in today’s online media ecosystem. But they clearly want that style of programming in a different form: stripped-down, minimally produced and intentionally rough around the edges.

To be clear, talk shows—of either the Oprah-style daytime variety or the late-night talkers modelled on The Tonight Show—haven’t lost their audience entirely. There is still an appetite for the entertainment and analysis they provide through showcasing new talent, interviewing celebrities and political figures or simply engaging in of-the-moment conversations. But people are increasingly turning away, and the falling viewership—coupled with the high costs of name-brand talent and slick TV production—has greatly decreased the once-mighty profitability of daytime and late-night shows.