Comscore expands Proximic into podcasting through Spotify and SiriusXM integrations

This move reduces the technical friction that has kept podcast ad spend disproportionately low compared to consumer engagement. By standardizing targeting and brand safety via Proximic, audio inventory becomes more accessible to omnichannel traders who typically manage budgets through DSPs and SSPs. Concretely, this brings the long-tail of podcast content into the programmatic fold, as automated transcription offers the transparency needed for institutional buyers to move beyond top-tier shows. Watch for shifts in CPMs for mid-tier podcast networks as they gain parity with video and display brand safety standards.

The alignment of podcasting with programmatic standards arrives as the sector’s revenue trajectory reaches a critical inflection point. Per the IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report released in April 2026, U.S. podcast ad revenue grew 17.6% year-over-year in 2025, reaching nearly $3 billion. Despite this consistent double-digit growth, the format’s share of total internet advertising has remained flat at roughly 2.8% since 2022. Advertisers cite a historical lack of granular tools for relevance and suitability as the primary reason for this investment gap, a challenge Comscore is now explicitly targeting with Proximic.

Contemporaneous reporting from Triton Digital in July 2026 highlights the demographic shifts driving this demand; 45% of consumers aged 25-34 now listen to podcasts weekly. This high-engagement audience is increasingly sought after by omnichannel buyers who are consolidating their spend into fewer, highly measurable platforms. According to EMARKETER projections from late 2025, programmatic advertising is expected to account for 30% of digital audio spending by 2027, up from a single-digit share just two years prior. This shift is being accelerated by the rise of video-on-Spotify and YouTube-based podcasting, which both offer more visual, data-rich signals for ad placement.

Industry bodies have stepped up efforts to support this technical maturation. In July 2026, the IAB Tech Lab released version 2.3 of the Podcast Technical Measurement Guidelines, specifically designed to synchronize how server-side logs and client-side clicks are calculated. These updates, paired with AI-driven sentiment analysis and transcript tracking, are intended to stabilize measurement across a fragmented device ecosystem where files are typically downloaded rather than streamed live. As major publishers like SiriusXM and Acast integrate these common targeting taxonomies, the focus is shifting toward establishing a unified brand safety floor comparable to Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) standards used in video.