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.