Why Vox Media Is Selling Its Podcasts as Multichannel Franchises

The digital media company Vox Media signed the YouTube creator Kenny Beecham to its podcast network Friday, part of a broader strategy from the company as it seeks to position its podcast portfolio as a multichannel offering that goes beyond audio.

“As video has become a bigger part of the conversation in the podcast space, the industry has really shifted toward this multiplatform approach,” said Ray Chao, the senior vice president and general manager of audio and digital video at Vox Media. “We have always been oriented around franchises and IP, though, so this is a core part of our DNA.”

Beecham operates three separate podcasts, all related to the world of basketball and basketball gaming, and is partnering with Vox Media on one of them—the newly rebranded Small Ball. Formerly The Kenny Beecham podcast, Small Ball has nearly 300,000 subscribers on its YouTube channel, and its videos routinely generate five- and six-figure viewership.

The tie-up is the 10th podcast partnership that Vox Media has signed in 2024 and is part of a concerted effort from the company to expand its sports programming. Alongside Small Ball, Vox Media has penned deals this year with Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe (A Touch More Podcast), Cam Heyward (Not Just Football), and Lonzo Ball (What an Experience).

Vox Media Podcast Network is the eighth-largest podcast network, according to Podtrac, with the partnership helping to extend Beecham’s audience reach. It has a unique monthly audience of over 6.6 million people in the U.S. 

As part of the partnership, Vox Media will assume sales, marketing, and distribution duties for the show and collaborate with Beecham on event extensions and editorial crossovers with Vox Media brands like SB Nation.

“We are excited about the cross-promotional opportunities, but also about lending our expertise and infrastructure to help grow Small Ball,” said Lillian Xu, the executive director of podcast business at Vox Media. “We also work with a lot of brands directly, which was appealing to the Enjoy Basketball team.”

Evolving podcasts beyond audio

The partnership reflects the increasingly multichannel nature of podcasting and the ways in which Vox Media has sought to capitalize on that evolution.

Video has become a critical channel for podcasting, as creators have used the virality of social video to reach new audiences with clips and teasers. As a YouTuber, Beecham embodies this ongoing shift. His media company, Enjoy Basketball, has five digital shows and podcasts and a community of over 1 million fans across platforms.

For Vox Media, the rise of video as an integral part of podcasting unlocks new commercial opportunities.

Video platforms like YouTube provide podcasts with a massive supply of surface area for sponsorship extensions, which can combine with the audio footprint of a show to significantly increase the volume of monetizable impressions. 

Vox Media also has a robust events infrastructure, which it uses to provide its podcast franchises with further inventory for sponsorship opportunities. Combined with the reach of these podcasts’ social presences, a single show can now reach multiple audiences on a variety of platforms, giving brands the ability to immersively surround a franchise. 

The strategy is a continuation of what has long been a best practice in marketing and selling media assets. However, it’s still somewhat new to the podcasting space, said Kerri Mason, the co-chief executive officer of Clear Sky Consultancy.

“You have the core asset in the middle of your spider graph—in this case, a podcast—and develop opportunities that extend outward from it,” Mason said. “What has changed here is that now video is an extension of podcasting, and it’s a very attractive medium for marketers.”