Monetizing Political Podcasts at Scale with Giancarlo Bizzarro of Crooked Media

How do political and narrative podcasts carve out sustainable monetization strategies in today’s ad-driven industry?

In this episode of PodBiz, Norma Jean Belenky speaks with Giancarlo Bizzarro, VP of Sales at Crooked Media, about how the company approaches podcast monetization in a shifting media landscape. From balancing content with ad sales to cultivating long-term client partnerships, Giancarlo breaks down the strategies that keep Crooked at the forefront of political and cultural podcasting.

As he puts it:

“Act as if you’re the client’s ad agency.”

Here are some insightful moments within the episode:

• Crooked Media’s current revenue mix: direct sales, programmatic, branded content, subscriptions, and video
• How limited series and partnerships (World Corrupt with Men in Blazers) help “de-risk” new show launches
• Why Giancarlo says “a baked-in ad is king” and how it compares with programmatic in today’s market
• Real CPM benchmarks in podcasting today | From high teens to mid-twenties, and when higher pricing makes sense
• Giancarlo’s career journey from the Obama campaign to Oxford Road, WME, Cadence13, and now Crooked Media
• A sales philosophy built on acting as if you’re the client’s ad agency, not just a vendor
• What’s next for Crooked Media: Crooked Con, video expansion, global growth, and delivering the best audience and advertiser experience

Giancarlo Bizzarro is the Vice President of Sales at Crooked Media, where he leads advertising and sponsorship strategy across the company’s podcast network. With extensive experience in media sales, Giancarlo has shaped how Crooked positions its shows in a crowded marketplace, balancing the demands of advertisers with the unique voice of politically and culturally influential podcasts.

Connect with Giancarlo on LinkedIn.

Episode Chapters

01:22 – Today’s Revenue Mix | Direct, programmatic, subscriptions, branded content, custom segments, and video

02:44 – Limited Series & De-Risking | How Crooked launches shows and protects investment with feed strategy

07:09 – Case Study: World Corrupt | Men in Blazers × Pod Save the World collaboration and why it worked

10:14 – Baked-In vs. Programmatic | Why baked-in is still the “king” of ad units for brands and audiences

14:10 – CPMs & Pricing | Where the market lands today and when higher CPMs make sense

18:49 – GC's Career Path to Crooked | From the Obama campaign to Oxford Road, Cadence13, WME, and Crooked

23:44 – Sales Philosophy | Acting as the client’s agency and building long-term partnerships

27:57 – What’s Next for Crooked | CrookedCon

Additional PodBiz Buzz

“My ethos has always been in selling, act as if you're the client's ad agency.”

“The money is generally dispersed mainly amongst direct advertisers, programmatic advertisers, subscription.”

“You're seeing money in branded content. You're seeing money in custom segments, and now you're seeing some money in video as well.”

“If they're smart, pick up on, and if they're small, they can still get a piece of the pie.”

“Subscriptions, branded content, and ads in general.. there's a lot of opportunity for people who have small businesses or maybe are coaches to use a podcast as a funnel.”

PodBiz is the podcast about the business of podcasting. Hosted by industry veterans Norma Jean Belenky and John Kiernan, the show features conversations with creators, executives, and platform leaders to answer one question: Where’s the money in podcasting?

Each episode dives into monetization strategy, adtech, branded content, IP development, and audience growth. Guests include leaders from Acast, Captivate, Crooked Media, Buzzsprout, True Native Media, Podfest, and more.

Learn more: njbmedia.co | thepodhouseproductions.com

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