Mark K Meiselbach, Soren Clarkwest, Benjamin Westermeyer, Matthew D Eisenberg
The scale, format, and concentration of sportsbook podcast advertising merit attention from policymakers considering federal marketing regulations.
INTRODUCTION: Online sports betting has expanded rapidly in the United States following the 2018 Supreme Court decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, with a growing body of research linking this expansion to increases in problem gambling, financial distress, bankruptcy filings, and intimate partner violence. Sportsbooks have invested heavily in advertising to acquire and engage customers. Podcasts may be a particularly attractive channel for sportsbook marketing, but little is known about the scale or targeting of this advertising.
METHODS: Using podcast advertising data from Podscribe for January 2024 through December 2025, we describe the podcast advertising estimated spending and volume for major online sportsbooks and compare them to the largest alcohol advertisers on podcasts.
RESULTS: In 2025, sports betting advertisers spent an estimated $63.4 million on podcast advertising, 2.9 times the $21.9 million spent by alcohol advertisers. DraftKings was estimated to have outspent all alcohol advertisers combined in 2025. DraftKings and FanDuel together accounted for 82% of estimated sports betting podcast spending, and The Joe Rogan Experience captured 13.9% of estimated sports betting podcast spending in 2025.
CONCLUSION: The scale, format, and concentration of sportsbook podcast advertising merit attention from policymakers considering federal marketing regulations.