That means Anchor wasn’t comfortable continuing the $15 per 1,000 listens arrangement it established. Several podcasters say they were cut off entirely, while Newman’s deal was reactivated at a lower CPM. Those paying Anchor sponsorships dried up at the end of 2020, with no renewal deal. Anchor pays $15 for every 1,000 people the podcast reached. Most podcasters using the service confirm that Anchor itself was their first sponsor. But that grand vision of connecting podcasters with paying sponsorships may be dying. Anchor’s sponsorships tool is supposed to work a lot like YouTube ads, matching advertisers to content.

Three others said they’re exploring alternatives to Anchor because they’re not receiving new sponsorships.Īnchor launched in November of 2018, just four months before Spotify bought it for $154 million. Three people interviewed confirmed that Spotify and Anchor had paid them thousands.

Anchor’s sponsorship feature seems to be severely lacking in actual sponsors outside of Anchor and Spotify. The Verge spoke with nine other podcasters who use the Anchor service.

Spotify anchor podcast