TALKING PODCASTS 1

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

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.

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.

In this session, Kate McCann and Sir Richard explore what happens when the world's foremost practitioners become its most trusted voices.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Session details coming soon.

Session details coming soon.

 

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

Session details coming soon.

Session Details coming soon...

Against a backdrop of doom-scrolling, podcasting has emerged as a powerful space for thoughtful, hopeful and radical ideas. Join this panel of visionaries who share a commitment to audio storytelling and the role of optimism in uncertain times. Hear case studies of how engaging podcast communities can lead to real-world consequences, and learn who is funding this kind of content.

Kate McCann and Sir Richard Dearlove — hosts of One Decision, a podcast that has featured leaders and decision-makers from across the political spectrum — examine the editorial discipline required to remain neutral, the commercial pressures that push against it, and whether the marketplace ultimately rewards or punishes that commitment.

Session details coming soon...

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

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

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.

Session details to come...

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.