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Too Many Ads, Not Enough Show: Why I Built My Own Network · Your Mic

• 0:00
  Don't take my word for it.
• 0:01
  The podcast ad model is broken, like your ex on the inside.
• 0:06
  Before we continue, who am I anyway?
• 0:09
  Freddie Cruz, founder of Speak Podcasting.
• 0:11
  My company
• 0:12
  produces iconic shows for iconic businesses in the Houston area and beyond.
• 0:19
  And I saw the writing
• 0:21
  on the wall years ago before I even left the radio world at the end of 2021.
• 0:26
  And I'm not the only one
• 0:27
  this says this.
• 0:27
  There are way too many ads, whether we're talking about third-party ads or
• 0:32
  host red ads that are just like back to back to back to back to back for five minutes in a row.
• 0:37
  You got like seven minutes of ads in the beginning of something.
• 0:41
  You start the episode and then
• 0:42
  minutes in, you're into more commercials.
• 0:45
  And then at the very end, there's more commercials.
• 0:48
  And before you know it, you got a 45-minute episode and a lot of it is ads.
• 0:55
  A 45-minute
• 0:56
  episode and probably 30 to 34 or five minutes worth of actual content itself.
• 1:04
  And it ain't
• 1:06
  making the podcast industry look good, especially when it comes to connecting our advertisers,
• 1:11
  which is how we monetize our shows, connecting our advertisers with listeners.
• 1:17
  Because if
• 1:17
  listeners are like, ah, this is garbage, I'm changing it.
• 1:20
  I don't want to hear an insurance
• 1:21
  company on my true crime podcast, or I don't want to hear this on this, and I don't want to hear
• 1:26
  eight minutes worth of commercials when I'm trying to listen to 50 to 60 minutes of
• 1:31
  whatever podcast genre they're listening to.
• 1:36
  And so I figure instead of talking about this stuff,
• 1:39
  instead of just pontificating, ambloviating, why not do something about it?
• 1:44
  So in the fall,
• 1:46
  this is one of the most exciting things that I'm doing.
• 1:49
  And I've done a lot of exciting things,
• 1:51
  But one of my favorite creative adventures of all time is going to be the Speak Originals Network.
• 2:00
  And I've got with me so far two shows, two hosts, very different.
• 2:09
  But we've got a model for these shows that is definitely going to serve listeners and advertisers in the way they deserve to be served.
• 2:23
  Before I tell you what kinds of shows or what these shows are, let me backtrack to why these shows are so unique.
• 2:32
  And I get it.
• 2:33
  We're not the only network that does things this way.
• 2:38
  but this is the network that only I can launch.
• 2:42
  We're going to have a presenting sponsorship
• 2:45
  with a name only mention at the beginning
• 2:48
  that's going to tease to the very end for a special offer.
• 2:53
  At the very end of that episode,
• 2:56
  it's going to be a 30 second ad of the presenting sponsor.
• 3:01
  So we'll use My Company Speak Podcasting as an example.
• 3:05
  this episode is brought to you by Speak Podcasting
• 3:07
  stick around for
• 3:09
  a sample of XYZ
• 3:11
  podcast from
• 3:13
  the Speak Originals Network
• 3:16
  the episode happens
• 3:17
  at the very end, this episode is presented
• 3:19
  by Speak Podcasting
• 3:21
  home of the Speak Originals Network
• 3:24
  where you'll hear shows like
• 3:25
  blankety blank, here's a
• 3:27
  sample of that show
• 3:29
  or however the host will say it
• 3:32
  that's one tier
• 3:33
  Okay, that's the presenting tier.
• 3:36
  The second tier, which you are going to hear 40 to 60% of the way into each different podcast episode,
• 3:43
  is going to be the host-owned tier.
• 3:45
  And this is where the upside is infinite, and this is how we attract hosts.
• 3:53
  Speak podcasting touches none of that revenue.
• 3:57
  We touch 0%.
• 4:00
  It is all upside.
• 4:02
  The host-owned ad is going to be something that is owned by the host.
• 4:06
  So we've got a host that runs an IT company, and we've got another host that might be launching a product in the coming year or two.
• 4:16
  And we touch none of those sales.
• 4:19
  Zero.
• 4:20
  Not a damn thing.
• 4:23
  And so that 30-second ad is going to play between 40% and 60% of the way through the episode.
• 4:29
  and then we get to the end, like I said, the presenting tier,
• 4:32
  followed by the supporting sponsor,
• 4:36
  which is going to air as the final unit at the very end of each episode.
• 4:43
  And this is where things for the advertiser don't get tricky,
• 4:48
  is because they're full season buyouts.
• 4:51
  So right now we've got two podcast hosts, two different shows,
• 4:56
  and we're only going to have four spots.
• 5:01
  We got a presenting and a supporting sponsor for one show
• 5:04
  and a presenting and a supporting sponsor for another one
• 5:07
  unless two different brands wanted to buy
• 5:10
  for the whole season of both shows,
• 5:13
  in which case I love that
• 5:15
  and there is a 10% discount
• 5:16
  for somebody who wants to sponsor both shows,
• 5:19
  whether that is the presenting and supporting tier.
• 5:22
  And so in the fall, we will be launching the Speak Originals Network.
• 5:28
  It is the network that the podcast industry is going to be so excited to listen to because these are highly curated shows.
• 5:37
  We've got a nonviolent true crime show hosted by Chris Richardson called The House of Theft.
• 5:42
  Chris's story involves his parents.
• 5:45
  His parents were convicted of stealing $3.8 million in stuff.
• 5:52
  And when I say stuff, we're talking toys, videos, all the way down to convenience store beverages just because they could.
• 5:59
  And he had no idea until the feds raided his house.
• 6:03
  He grew up in this house and he and his sister had no idea.
• 6:08
  And so this podcast, The House of Theft, is going to be told through the eyes of the son who had no idea his parents were hardened criminals.
• 6:18
  There will be a season two and a season three.
• 6:21
  We have talked about it, but season one is going to feature Chris telling the story on his own.
• 6:28
  And there will be guest episodes, co-hosted episodes for next year and then in 2028 as well.
• 6:35
  The second host I'm really excited about, as you know, Speak Podcasting is based in the Houston area.
• 6:43
  and there is not very much coverage of food outside of the viral insta-vloggers or food writers.
• 6:55
  And so a food podcast dedicated to the restaurant scene
• 7:01
  that covers the restaurants who may not get all the love in mainstream media.
• 7:09
  This show is called Made in House Houston.
• 7:13
  It is hosted by the one and only Mega McSwain, whose bylines include Dining Out, The Food Network, Texas Monthly, and so many more.
• 7:24
  She and I go back several years from my previous radio career, and she is a rock star in the food world.
• 7:30
  And so she has agreed to host season one of Made in House Houston, and there will be other seasons covering other cities.
• 7:40
  But we're starting here at home.
• 7:44
  We're starting in the Houston area with a food show and with a true crime show.
• 7:49
  And we are having a blast, not just recording, but editing and producing all the ancillary content that goes with having these shows.
• 7:59
  And so I cannot wait for these shows to debut.
• 8:03
  it's looking like late September
• 8:05
  will be when you can binge listen
• 8:08
  to The House of Theft
• 8:09
  hosted by Chris Richardson
• 8:11
  and Made in House Houston
• 8:13
  hosted by Mega McSwain.
• 8:16
  So be sure to follow
• 8:17
  Speak Podcasting
• 8:18
  S-P-E-K-E Podcasting
• 8:20
  on all the socials.
• 8:21
  We'll keep you updated.
• 8:22
  We're going to have an official launch party.
• 8:24
  It's going to be curated
• 8:25
  for only a few dozen people.
• 8:27
  Very private, very intimate party.
• 8:30
  That's going to be happening
• 8:31
  probably late August,
• 8:33
  early September.
• 8:34
  We're going to have a lot of fun with this.
• 8:36
  And so just follow us for all the
• 8:39
  updates.