MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Podcast Network Asia (PNA) tipped over 150 shows with the addition of POKUSS, an Indonesian podcast. Since its inception a year ago, PNA has provided support for the nascent industry by making sure that podcast creators have access to production support and monetisation opportunities. Now with 150+ shows in its network, the organisation is not slowing down with its acquisition of local shows and expansion into markets outside of the Philippines.
“It’s an amazing milestone for PNA. The community is growing, the listeners are growing, but there’s still a lot to do as far as supporting and driving podcasting forward,” says Ron Baetiong, co-founder and CEO of Podcast Network Asia. “Our ambition is to make podcasting mainstream and we’re keeping focused on this, regardless of which country we’re in.”
With an estimated 2,000 podcasts in the Philippines, there is more work to be done to create value for the podcasting industry. Majority of local podcast creators are still unable to monetise their content because of limited listenership or are challenged in terms of pitching to advertisers.
For Podcast Network Asia, part of the ambition is to get more brands and advertisers to support podcasting as a channel to reach and engage their audience. Globally, podcast advertising has grown exponentially along with the increase of podcast shows which is estimated to be at 1M. By 2020, podcast ad revenue is already at $659 million from $69 million in 2015. According to Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PwC, advertising revenue will surpass $1 billion by 2021.
For shows in the network, they have an opportunity to get advertising support and USD 420,000 has been earned since 2019.
The company also intends to leverage Podmetrics, its monetization, ad exchange, and marketplace platform to service these other markets as well. Currently, there are almost 1,700 podcasts on the platform and around USD 90,000 gross sales have been earned for the affiliate marketing brands.
Globally, the podcast industry remains bullish with more creators, networks, and advertisers supporting the medium. Podcast Network Asia is confident that the added support from investors will enable the Philippines industry to participate and be recognised as a contributor to this growth.
