One in eight British people expect to consume more podcasts this year, according to the latest Global Media Outlook report by market research and data analytics firm YouGov.
The annual report looks at how media consumption behaviour has evolved over the past 12 months and how it is expected to change in the future, surveying 19,000 people across 18 countries between August to September 2022.
On average, 50% of UK respondents said that they have listened to a podcast in the past 12 months compared to the global rate of 61%. This represents a 1% increase in the global average versus last year’s report.
Global podcast listenership is expected to continue growing by 2% in 2023 according to the report’s net growth score, despite the fact that it was the least popular media activity amongst the survey respondents, coming in behind playing video games.
“A lot has happened since the last YouGov Global Media Outlook report was released,” the report stated. “The impact of major global events from the easing of the global pandemic to war in Ukraine, to the cost-of-living crisis and the threat of a global recession, have presented new challenges for the media industry.”
Gen Z and millennial audiences between the ages of 18-24 were most highly engaged with podcasts, with approximately 76% having listened to one in 2022. Podcasts were considered least popular with audiences aged 55+, and less than half of respondents reported that they had listened to a podcast.
“Streaming video or music and listening to podcasts are predicted to grow at a higher rate than linear media such as listening to the radio and watching live and non-live TV,” the report stated. “More traditional media activities continue to benefit from high consumption penetrations, but their rate of growth is lower than digital.”
The survey also showed that digital media is entering a new era of green advertising, with climate change and sustainability being a major concern for around 80% of UK media consumers.
Gen Z and millennial consumers are more likely to buy only from companies that are considered socially responsible, and 67% of respondents in this bracket stated that sustainability is “very important” to them in advertising.
“With sustainability a high priority for US and UK consumers, brands, advertisers, and media channels must prepare to address the rising concerns about the impact of ads on the environment,” the report said. “This presents a clear opportunity for marketers and media owners to increase their transparency and ensure consumers know exactly what they, as brands, are doing to fight climate change and reduce their environmental impact.”
