Midroll

Was one of the largest and most influential podcast advertising networks in the United States, representing hundreds of premium shows and setting industry standards for host-read ad monetization.

Midroll Media was one of the pioneering companies in podcast advertising, founded in 2010 as a spin-off from Earwolf, a comedy podcast network. The company built one of the largest podcast advertising marketplaces, representing hundreds of premium podcasts and connecting them with major brand advertisers. Midroll's network included some of the most popular shows in the medium, and it developed proprietary tools for ad insertion, campaign management, and audience analytics that helped professionalize the podcast monetization ecosystem. In 2015, Midroll was acquired by E.W. Scripps Company for approximately $50 million, marking one of the first major acquisitions in the podcast industry and signaling mainstream media's growing interest in the space. Under Scripps, Midroll continued to expand its advertiser roster and podcast network, while also launching Stitcher Premium, a subscription podcast service. The company played a significant role in establishing host-read advertising as the dominant format in podcast monetization, helping to define industry standards for CPM pricing and campaign measurement. In 2020, E.W. Scripps sold Midroll and Stitcher to SiriusXM for approximately $325 million. Following the acquisition, SiriusXM integrated Midroll's operations into its broader podcast strategy under the Stitcher and later SXM Media brands. The Midroll brand was eventually phased out as SiriusXM consolidated its podcast advertising sales under SXM Media, effectively ending Midroll as a distinct operating entity. Its legacy remains significant as one of the foundational companies that helped transform podcast advertising into a multi-billion dollar industry.