How Kit Gray Built a $50M Podcast Empire—and Took It Public | Ep 217 with Kit Gray co-founder of PodcastOne

Kit Gray, President and Co-Founder of PodcastOne (NASDAQ: PODC), reveals how he parlayed childhood radio fandom into a thriving public podcast network. From early iPod hacks with Adam Carolla to structuring live reads, community-first ad packages, and an IPO, Kit shares the timing, tactics, and tenacity behind PodcastOne’s $51M revenue and its 200-show roster.

Key Discussion Points

Radio Roots & Howard Stern: How listening to sports talk and Stern’s brand-building ignited Kit’s love for audio.

Selling the Download: Early deals with Adam Carolla (ProFlowers, LegalZoom) that proved CPMs & CPA tracking worked.

Building a Network: Moving from one-off ad reads to 360° packages—audio, video, social—for A&E, Lady Gang, Jordan Harbinger, and more.

Timing the Tides: Why the iPhone, COVID lockdowns, and YouTube’s podcast push turbocharged growth.

Going Public: Lessons (and flip-flops) on spinning out, partnering with bankers, and using equity to align talent.

Community over Impressions: Why buying engaged audiences beats mass buy, and how brands scale with niche pods.

Key Takeaways

• Be first, but stay fast: Early movers in on-demand audio captured both talent and advertisers.
• Proof precedes scale: Start with one host, one campaign; use hard ROI data to win bigger deals.
• Sell the community, not just ad slots: True influence lies in loyalty, not lowest CPM.
• Equity aligns interests: Offering stock to creators fosters retention and shared upside.
• Adapt or fade away: From iPods to social streams to IPO filings, continual reinvention is non-negotiable.

Closing Thoughts

 Dive into how Kit Gray built a soup-to-nuts podcast empire—signing singers turned podcasters, structuring ad-stacked communities, and trading on NASDAQ—and walk away with a playbook for finding, owning, and monetizing the next great audio audience.

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