Daytime TV is facing an existential crisis, and the culprit might just be the humble podcast! Recent cancellations of beloved talk shows like The Kelly Clarkson Show and Sherri have sent shockwaves through the industry, fueling fears that video podcasts are poised to dethrone traditional television. It's a dramatic shift, as podcasts, once a niche medium, are now commanding the same A-list guests as broadcast television. Think Michelle Obama gracing Call Her Daddy or Leonardo DiCaprio appearing on New Heights. These digital darlings also boast massive reach on platforms like YouTube and are even making inroads onto streaming giants like Netflix.
This seismic shift is causing considerable anxiety for network executives, who are already grappling with declining cable viewership. A Nielsen report last year revealed a staggering 39 percent drop in cable viewership between the spring of 2021 and 2025, with cable now accounting for just over 24 percent of all viewership. Meanwhile, the time spent listening to podcasts has exploded, growing by an astonishing 355 percent since 2015 to a colossal 773 million hours per week, according to Edison Research.
But here's where it gets controversial... TV executives, producers, and talent alike are noticing that video podcasts are delivering a product that feels incredibly familiar to talk show and news audiences, but at a significantly lower cost. "I think it’s pretty clear to everybody when you look at things like Call Her Daddy or Joe Rogan and the kind of sway they have," laments one veteran of late-night television. "That’s not to say that the [TV] shows don’t have their own sway still — it’s just that they’re all kind of considered equals, right?"
This has led to a fierce competition for guest bookings. A talk show producer shared that they are now vying for appearances with some of the biggest podcasts, as publicists strategically weigh which audiences will best serve their clients' promotional needs. While late-night shows like The Tonight Show have historically relied on comedy sketches to differentiate themselves, this is becoming an increasingly crucial element in the battle for guest talent. "A big key piece here is people come to The Tonight Show because of Jimmy Fallon. They know he’s going to do something fun with them, and they know that we’re going to make it look good," explains Nick Dyer, supervising producer and head of digital at The Tonight Show.
And this is the part most people miss... A major draw for video podcasts is their commitment to longform conversations. Bill Simmons, head of talk strategy at Spotify and founder of The Ringer, has observed podcasts siphoning viewers from talk shows for years, largely because guests often feel more at ease in this extended format. "Part of the issue is that podcasts were becoming a more reliable place for conversation," he notes. "One of the reasons I structured my HBO show [Any Given Wednesday] the way I did, which didn’t work, but I was having celebrities tell me it was more fun to do a podcast that was a longform conversation than it was to go on a late night show and only talk for seven minutes."
As podcasts have surged in popularity, they've become an indispensable stop on the promotional tours for stars. We've seen this with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who recently appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience and The Big Picture podcast to promote their new Netflix film, The Rip. Even political figures are embracing the medium, with then-candidate Donald Trump guesting on Rogan's podcast and Vice President Kamala Harris appearing on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy during crucial election periods.
"Podcasts have to be part of the strategy now if you’re promoting something," Simmons emphasizes, noting that even his own podcasts, along with others, are now finding a home on Netflix.
The most significant concern echoing through the corridors of legacy TV networks is the potential for viewers to gravitate towards watching podcasts on their televisions, consequently reducing their engagement with traditional talk shows. After all, YouTube has undeniably become the dominant streaming platform on TV sets, and it has transformed into a bona fide podcast powerhouse, with over 700 million hours of podcasts consumed monthly.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan articulated this evolving landscape in a letter to creators on January 21st: "The ‘new’ television doesn’t look like the ‘old’ television. It’s interactive and includes things like Shorts (yes, people watch them on TVs), podcasts and livestreams, right alongside the sports, sitcoms and talk shows people already love."
Netflix, a formidable competitor to traditional TV, has also begun to feature podcasts on its service, striking deals to license content from Spotify, iHeartMedia, and Barstool Sports. This move is a strategic effort to challenge its primary rival, YouTube, and capitalize on the undeniable popularity of the podcasting medium.
However, Netflix's increasing emphasis on time spent on the service has led some executives at competing platforms to speculate that the streaming giant might be adopting a more traditional TV programmer mindset. Just as TV executives recognized the appeal of talk shows and sports debate programs during daytime hours, Netflix appears to be leveraging video podcasts to fill that void, sidestepping the substantial overhead associated with traditional network studio productions.
"Of course we look at the view hours," co-CEO Ted Sarandos stated to Wall Street analysts on January 20th. "But we also look at a myriad of other signals to assess how our members are engaging and how important do they value that engagement. So members have different value for different types of programming."
Even established news organizations like CNN are embracing podcasts, recently partnering with Lemonada to bring shows like Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know to their streaming offerings, citing the medium's burgeoning popularity.
Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room: jobs. Talk shows have historically been heavily unionized endeavors. For instance, The Jennifer Hudson Show (recently renewed for a fourth season amidst cancellation rumors) employs WGA writers for its segments, IATSE crew members for camera operation, and a DGA stage manager to oversee production. The rise of low-fi programming for digital platforms, which often operates outside of union contracts, directly threatens these unionized positions.
The Writers Guild of America East (WGA East) has made significant strides in organizing the podcasting industry, unionizing writers at prominent companies like The Ringer, Pushkin Industries, and Spotify Studios since 2019. This is a considerable achievement, given the widespread popularity of these companies' titles across both podcast platforms and YouTube.
However, other Hollywood unions face a longer road. IATSE, representing crew members such as grips and camera operators, pointed to its recent organizing campaign with the WGA West at the YouTube content studio Theorist Media as evidence of its commitment to addressing this transition. "Many video podcasts and social media productions now operate at a scale that resembles unionized talk shows or studio productions," a spokesperson for IATSE stated. "Labor standards should not disappear simply because the content lives online. It’s true for streaming, and it’s true here. Union contracts and rates should instead be set based on budget and the actual work being performed on the ground, across all possible verticals."
Leaders at the WGA West have also voiced their concerns. In a 2025 election statement, WGA West board member Adam Conover, who boasts nearly a million subscribers on his own YouTube channel, urged the union to focus its organizing efforts on YouTube and podcasts. "Like it or not, this is the future of television," he declared. WGA West president Michele Mulroney echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need to "look beyond our current employers" as the industry shifts.
So, what do you think? Are video podcasts the future of entertainment, and will traditional talk shows become a relic of the past? Or is there still a vital place for the classic TV talk show format? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
