Talking Podcasts 1

In an era defined by a constant battle for attention, how do the world’s leading producers continue to grow their reach while deepening their connection with existing audiences? As news media evolves from simple daily briefings into cinematic deep-dives and high-impact video, the bar for engagement - and accuracy - has never been higher.

Hosted by the award-winning BBC journalist Ciara Riordan, this session brings together award-winning executive producer, investigatons Will Roe and executive producer Molly Guinness from The Times and The Sunday Times, alongside Jake Strong-Jones, Head of Video Distribution at The Sun. Together, they will pull back the curtain on the creative and editorial strategies driving their wide range of news-focused programme making, exploring how to build deep audience trust while pioneering bold new ways to engage and inform across both audio and video platforms.

When a Sunday pub league football match became one of the most watched live streams on a busy Easter weekend of football, it wasn't luck — it was the result of a completely different way of thinking about what a BBC podcast can be. Game's Gone: The Steve Bracknall Podcast has built something the BBC rarely achieves: a show that finds people who never thought BBC content was for them.

In this session, the team behind the podcast pull back the curtain on how they did it — from commissioning strategy to creative execution and building a community. Expect some numbers that will genuinely surprise you, and an honest conversation about what it takes to reach an audience the BBC has never really connected with before.

Join Leanne, Lily, and Helen for an empowering, no-nonsense discussion on how producers can, and should, negotiate a stake in the ideas they build. From freelancers to staff producers, this panel is about reclaiming the value of your creativity in a changing industry. 

What does it actually take to build a subscription business at scale? The brands on this stage aren't guessing — they're doing it. Join some of the most powerful names in podcasting as they pull back the curtain on what's working, what's not, and where the biggest opportunities lie. Plus: don't miss a major live announcement from Sky News that you won't want to miss.

A first impression can make or break a podcast. In this new research presentation from Coleman Insights, Nova Entertainment, and Pantheon Media, you’ll get an inside look at what truly drives trailer effectiveness. Based on a study of 500 U.S. podcast listeners, this session explores what people remember from podcast trailers, which creative elements spark interest, and how those moments influence intent to listen. Using four real podcast examples—High Scrollers, Better Than Yesterday, Superfan Diaries, and Binge or Cringe—the panel will reveal surprising findings about storytelling, structure, and emotional connection in trailer performance

There is a discipline that the intelligence profession imposes on its practitioners: that of describing the world as it is rather than as you would wish it to be. Sir Richard Dearlove spent four decades at MI6 — including four years as its Chief — serving governments of all political stripes by providing them with the clearest possible picture of reality, regardless of what they wanted to hear. That discipline is often missing from public discourse about global affairs today.

In an era when the podcasts that dominate the charts increasingly know exactly where they stand politically and ideologically, One Decision has built a substantial audience by doing something harder: seeking out expert opinions and engaging in a collective, humble effort to make sense of our complex reality. In this session, veteran journalist and One Decision co-host Kate McCann and Sir Richard examine what that commitment actually requires when they approach an interview.

What does it actually take to deliver a podcast when the guest is a Prime Minister, a Prince, or another globally recognised public figure - and the margin for error is effectively zero?

Using examples including the Man Made special featuring Pete Wicks and Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street, alongside Bryony Gordon’s experience interviewing figures including Prince Harry, this session explores what really goes into producing high-stakes podcast conversations in tightly controlled, high-pressure environments.

Rather than focusing on a single show, the panel opens up into a broader discussion around access, trust, editorial responsibility and the practical realities of producing ambitious visualised podcasts at the highest level.

Hosted by Lucie Cave, (Chief Creative Officer, Bauer) the session brings together Cat Moran (Head of Production, Bauer), Finn Ryan (Exec Producer) and podcaster and columnist Bryony Gordon to compare approaches, challenges and lessons learned across political, cultural and high-profile interview settings.

“If there’s nothing left to say, keep going anyway.” Said no one, ever. 

Your favourite tales – whether you’re reading in bed or regaling mates at a party – don't last forever. What gives them power is shape: a beginning, a build, a payoff. And when it ends well, it doesn’t “finish” – it lingers, gets shared, gets talked about and takes on a life of its own.  

In a podcast show world full of sprawling 300-episode series, it’s easy to assume scale is the only route to fandom or commercial impact. But limited-run narrative podcasts prove otherwise. These are tightly crafted, culturally resonant moments – and bloody good stories at their core – that grab attention, spark conversation and create moments for brands to show up. 

Lewis Goodall (host, Coining It) and Benedict Townsend (host, Vine: Six Seconds That Changed the World) join Global Studios’ Head of Podcasts Al Riddell and producer Mary Goodheart as they explore why short-run storytelling can leave a lasting mark. And why, for brands, these finite series can unlock some of the most powerful partnership opportunities in podcasting. 

 

talkSPORT, The Sun and The Times between them convene millions of sports fans, at home and abroad, for their brilliant breaking news and opinionated previews and post match analysis. With the FIFA World Cup 2026 just weeks away, the race is on to capture the hearts of the football fans internationally. But in a tournament spanning three countries and 104 matches, how are these iconic brands planning to use podcasts to lead the way? 

Hosted by talkSPORT breakfast presenter Shebahn Aherne, the session assembles Dean Scoggins, Head of Sport at The Sun, Abi Paterson, Head of Podcasts at talkSPORT and Tom Clarke, Sports Editor at The Times, to discuss their different approaches to what's shaping up to be the greatest sporting tournament ever, leveraging this global moment to attract and engage a new generation of international fans.

Who actually pays for kids' podcasts? Kids podcasts can deliver serious scale. But scale doesn't always equal sustainability. Unlike adult podcasts, children's shows can't rely on programmatic advertising — and even at millions of monthly listens and views, revenue models look very different. Monetisation in kids audio is shaped by regulation, trust, parent purchasing behaviour, and limited ad infrastructure.  This session brings together creatives from across the family audio ecosystem to unpack the real economics behind children's podcasting. We'll explore subscription-first businesses built on listener loyalty, the realities (and limits) of host-read advertising, how commissions and partnerships support long-term production, and where grant funding fits into the picture. Rather than offering a single solution, this conversation examines the trade-offs between funding models — creative freedom vs commercial pressure, stability vs scale — and asks what “sustainable” really means for kids podcasts in 2026. This is a candid look at the structural challenges and opportunities shaping the future of family audio.

Visual podcasting is rapidly maturing into a credible alternative to traditional broadcast. As audiences grow and expectations rise, leading creators are pushing production values to new heights - redefining what “podcast quality” really means.
In this session, we'll explore how top visual podcasts are levelling up, refining cinematic lighting, colour workflows, and image quality to stand out in an increasingly competitive space. We’ll also look at the evolving makeup of production crews, with emerging talent bringing fresh perspectives, embracing AI-driven tools, and adopting more streamlined workflows. Together, these shifts are redefining how high-quality content is created in a fast-paced digital environment.
We’ll also unpack the role of YouTube and podcast platforms as primary broadcast destinations, and how that shift is influencing both creative ambition and technical decision-making. Blending inspiration with real-world insight, this session offers a forward-looking take on what it takes to create standout visual content today and how the next wave of podcast production is being defined.

For decades, the way we understood public life — politics, power, crises, conflicts — was filtered through a professional class of journalists, editors and broadcasters. Podcasting has quietly dismantled that gatekeeping. Sir Richard Dearlove, former Chief of MI6, has found in podcasting a platform to share four decades of intelligence experience directly with a global audience. Joining him is Andy Coulson — former editor of the News of the World, Downing Street Director of Communications, and host of Crisis What Crisis? — who has built a platform on something equally rare: the credibility that comes from having faced the worst and rebuilt.

In this session, veteran journalist Kate McCann – current co-host of both the One Decision podcast and of the Times Radio morning show – sits down Sir Richard and Coulson to  explore what is involved in entering the world of podcasting from a different line of work. They talk about what it means to take up a role traditionally filled by professional journalists while drawing on a very different set of skills and experiences. They examine why the medium uniquely enables this transition, what it demands of those who make it.

 

Discover how UK consumers feel about AI in podcasting and who’s engaging with video podcasts.

The UK Audio Network reports on the state of pay and equity within the UK audio industry, join Laura Blake as she runs through the latest survey results.

Sharon Taylor (Chief Revenue Officer, Triton Digital) will share a practical framework for integrating video strategically — without sacrificing monetization, data ownership, or measurement integrity.

Branded podcasts can be a growth engine, or a fast track to scope creep and endless feedback loops. Working with brands can feel alien for podcasters new to the space  - it’s time to demystify the world of brands!

In this session, Chair Dan Rookwood (Chief Growth Officer at Novel and former Global Head of Content at Nike) is joined by Benish Mahmoud (Head of Global Partnerships, Publicis Media Content), Drew Wolf (Creative Director, Havas Media Group ) and Ryan Samtani (Director of Business Development, Brand Partnerships, Novel). The panel will share practical tips and tricks to help podcasters land the right deals, shape brilliant brief responses, and keep brand partners confident and happy from kickoff to launch.

You will hear what brands really want when they commission podcasts, how to pitch in a way that protects creative quality, and how to run a smooth client experience that avoids unpleasant surprises. Expect candid advice on pitching, pricing, managing approvals, measuring success, and the producer habits that keep client relationships healthy.

What are the ingredients for a podcast business that's actually sellable? Join Barry Dudley (Partner, Green Square) and Ben Jaffe (Partner, Pryor Cashman) for a simple, practical health check covering seven things that separate a podcast business acquirers will chase, from one they politely pass on. Drawing on their sector expertise they'll walk through the real audit: sustainable revenue streams, the IP you actually own, the walk-out test, locking in your second tier and more.

You'll leave with a one-page checklist you can run against your own business. Whether you're three years from an exit or just starting to think about one, this is the session that turns vague intent into a plan.

Presentation of hot-off-the-press findings from Ofcom's Audio Listening in the UK report

Using real-world case studies — including multiple successful narrative series spearheaded by the panelists — this panel argues that long-form storytelling audio remains worth the investment creatively, journalistically, and culturally.

In this panel, leaders across analytics, hosting, and media buying will share how they think about podcast measurement today, from defining success to identifying the signals that actually matter.

The merger of video podcasts and linear television isn't coming - it's already here.

The Traitors: Uncloaked finale drew 6.6 million live viewers for the BBC. Piers Morgan Uncensored has a Friday night slot on Channel 5. TFI Friday Unplugged has been acquired by Channel 4. TV commissioners are seizing on digital formats - drawn by premium talent, lower production costs and built-in audiences.

The conversation will look at the bigger picture of how podcasts are becoming IP engines and what it means to build stories that can live beyond audio. Q&A to follow

This session will cut through the industry noise using hard data, charts, and deep-dive market analyses focusing on the UK and US.