Podcasts are releasing merch and it’s become big business. Popular podcasts like “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “Crime Junkie,” and “Stuff You Should Know,” have “robust social media followings,” garner tens of millions of downloads per week, and would sell out live recordings pre-pandemic. YPulse’s entertainment survey found that 62% of 13-39-year-olds listen to podcasts, and beyond catching people’s ears, they’re also running “fully fleshed-out merchandise operations.” Podcast merch business is soaring as young listeners show off their support for their favorite program through a t-shirt, hoodie, tote bag, or mug. According to Stitcher, merch sales for their shows like “WTF with Marc Maron” and “Freakonomics Radio” are “doubling” each year. They compared some of their coffee mug drops, which sometimes sell out in hours, to “the frenetic hype around the release of Air Jordan sneakers.” (WSJ)
