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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will publish its final print edition on December 31, 2025, before becoming a digital-only outlet on January 1, 2026. Publisher Andrew Morse said the move will allow resources to flow into newsletters, podcasts, video, and a new mobile app. The 157-year-old paper has already posted double-digit digital subscription growth and expanded statewide reach. The shift mirrors broader industry trends: nearly half of US adults never read print newspapers, while digital ad spend continues to climb. AJC鈥檚 farewell to print underscores the inevitable math: audiences and advertisers are digital, and adaptation is survival.

High audio listenership and time spent this year means limited growth. Subscription revenues will be healthy, as most listeners pay to limit ads. And Spotify will lead in nearly every metric, though several platforms are doing well.

The news: Gamers are more involved in gaming content than ever before, thanks in large part to titles like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite. And they鈥檙e not keeping that interest solely on-platform. 46% of gamers say their time spent creating in-game video game content has somewhat or significantly increased over a year ago, per Bain & Company鈥檚 Gaming Report 2025. 蘑菇AV 20% say they spend less time. 27% of gamers鈥� social media time and 25% of their streaming video time is spent focused on gaming-related content. Our take: The gaming audience is growing, and it鈥檚 not focused on a single platform or console. Gamers鈥� interests reach through the game and into social media, streaming, TV, and audio, giving marketers a wide path to reach gamers where they are.

Viewing podcasts beyond their audio-only roots and keeping track with constantly shifting user preferences will promote long term success.

Reaching through audio: Podcasts often have loyal audiences who trust hosts鈥� voices and recommendations.

Digital audio consumption continues to grow in the US. Younger audiences are leading the way, adopting platforms like Spotify and audio content like podcasts.

The news: Podcast ads are the most effective way to drive action through advertising across media types, per a new study from Sounds Profitable and Signal Hill Insights. 22% of monthly podcast listeners have made an immediate purchase after hearing an ad on a podcast in the past six months, per the study. Podcasts outperformed users of premium TV streaming services like Peacock and Netflix (13%), Instagram (13%), YouTube (12%), and TikTok (5%). Our take: As audiences shift to digital, podcasts demand advertiser investment. Brands that pay attention to the format and take steps to innovate will succeed long-term.

Market context: While programmatic penetration in podcasting remains low鈥攋ust 9.7% of US podcast ad spend in 2024 vs. 35.2% for other digital audio services鈥攊t鈥檚 steadily rising. By 2026, that gap will narrow to 11.5% vs. 43.9%, suggesting room for acceleration. Still, incremental gains from programmatic in podcasts will trail the broader digital audio market.

The news: Edison Research鈥檚 Q2 2025 鈥淪hare of Ear鈥� report revealed key trends in ad-supported audio and what channels are winning. The conclusion? Radio is still dominating in time spent across age groups鈥攁nd while podcasts are gaining ground, the shift is slow. Our take: Strategies that focus solely on podcasts at the expense of radio will fail to capitalize on the full potential of ad-supported audio. Brands that combine radio鈥檚 enduring reach while accounting for podcasts鈥� ability to engage and drive action will unlock the best outcomes.

The news: The podcast ad market is maturing and evolving past an experimental medium into a reliable resource for repeat advertisers and larger test budgets. Q2 podcast ad spending grew 28% YoY and 17% quarter over quarter (QoQ), per Magellan AI鈥檚 latest Quarterly Benchmark report. Our take: Podcast audiences are high-intent, highly engaged listeners. Maintaining a positive user experience means advertising remains effective and trusted. Marketers should use podcasts as a bridge medium, not just for conversions, but for brand memory and affinity.

In Spotify's Q1 2025 earnings report, the audio giant revealed that it had paid out over $100 million to podcasters and publishers worldwide since January. "It was the bigger budget, high profile sponsorships that drove the best results, despite these typically being seen simply as brand building plays," Sadra said.

The news: Audioboom agreed to acquire Adelicious, potentially creating the UK鈥檚 largest homegrown podcast network with 125 million monthly downloads, per Podnews. The deal will cement Audioboom鈥檚 expansion and amplify its global reach through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major platforms. Our take: As podcasting shifts from a fragmented space to a few dominant networks, smaller creators risk losing ad revenue and visibility. Advertisers that balance buys across major platforms and independent shows will stretch their budgets further鈥攁nd stay closer to engaged, loyal audiences.

But while YouTube leads for its video element, Spotify dominates as the preferred digital audio service for younger listeners. Creating offerings that help convert these consumers into video viewers鈥攕uch as deepening its partnerships with popular podcast influencers and promoting video podcasts鈥攃ould prove valuable in convincing advertisers that Spotify is the best place to reach listeners.