A look at the video podcasting surge; a study shows ~75% of podcast consumers play video episodes and ~30% play video episodes minimized or in background mode
and therefore potentially less likely to want to be on camera for hours on end.” — www.nytimes.com/2025/07/20/s... X: Brian Stelter / @brianstelter : “The many ways that Americans now consume podcasts — actively and passively, sometimes with another device in hand, sometimes without — bears an obvious similarity to the way Americans consume television.” That's because they basically are TV! https://www.nytimes.com/... See also Mediagazer
Context & Ripple Effects
Earlier coverage established that video had become a growth lever for podcast publishers, with YouTube leading US podcast consumption and companies using video to reach audiences and support advertising; this study adds evidence that viewing is now a common part of podcast use. The earlier shift toward video-led podcast distribution provides the immediate backdrop.
The important qualifier is that a substantial share of video use is passive: the format is gaining television-like behavior without making sustained on-camera attention universal.
First-order effects
- Podcast producers face a split consumption pattern: video can expand reach, but many viewers use it as background media rather than as a fully watched program.
- Advertisers and publishers must distinguish video playback from active visual attention when deciding how much value to assign to camera-dependent formats.
Second-order effects
- Platforms and distributors have an incentive to support both lean-back viewing and audio-like background use, rather than treating video podcasts as a single, screen-focused product.
- Creators may favor production workflows that deliver a usable audio experience alongside video, limiting the payoff from visuals that require continuous attention.
Third-order effects
- If this behavior persists, podcasting will increasingly sit between audio and television, with format, ad measurement, and distribution designed around multiple modes of consumption rather than a separate “podcast” audience.
- The durable advantage may accrue to services that can monetize the same program across foreground video, background playback, and traditional audio without forcing creators into one production model.
The trend: Podcasting is converging with television distribution while retaining the passive, multitasking habits that made audio distinctive.