April showers are already starting to yield flowers as Midroll Media rolls out four great all-new podcasts on the Earwolf and Wolfpop networks. This roll-out underscores Midroll’s ongoing strategy of working with the best talent to develop original, entertaining, and innovative podcast programming, while expanding the breadth of our audience.

When podcast All-Star Paul F. Tompkins released a short teaser for his new Earwolf show Spontaneanation, the podcast immediately jumped to the top of the iTunes charts. Today fans’ patience is rewarded. They receive their highly anticipated dose of PFT, as the launch of Spontaneanation episode #1 kicks off Midroll’s spring roll-out.

In the coming weeks CARDBOARD with Rich Sommer and The Black List Table Reads will join the Wolfpop line-up. Womp It Up! starring Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham will wrap up the month with the show’s Earwolf debut on April 20. See more details below.

“Comedy fans who love Comedy Bang! Bang!, With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus, and Improv4humans will be excited to know they can now get new, weekly shows from favorite performers Paul F. Tompkins, Jessica St. Clair, and Lennon Parham,” said Chris Bannon, Chief Content Officer for Midroll.

“And our new Wolfpop shows mirror two major pop culture passions: Rich Sommer’s CARDBOARD celebrates the huge community of board game fans; Franklin Leonard’s The Black List Table Reads captures the imagination with pure audio storytelling, with performances of some of Hollywood’s most desirable scripts.”

Audiences & Advertisers ‘Hungry’ for New Content & Listening Experiences

As mainstream awareness of podcasting continues to grow, the appetites of both audiences and advertisers grow, too. Last month Edison Research’s The Infinite Dial 2015 reported that “monthly audio podcast consumption grew from approximately 39 million monthly users in 2014 to approximately 46 million in 2015.”

The surge in popularity of the podcast medium has also caught the interest of advertisers who are attracted by the authenticity and intimacy of the native advertising experience created by host-read and fan-appreciated ads. While the business of podcast ads continues to evolve, podcasts as entertainment are drawing larger numbers–and brands want to be where audiences are flocking.

Midroll, recognized for its expertise in monetization and its relationships with both brands and podcasters, represents more than 200 podcasts to advertisers, including shows on its owned-and-operated networks along with other popular off-network favorites. With the challenge of keeping inventory high as advertiser demand for shows skyrockets, the newest programs from Earwolf and Wolfpop all debut this month with launch partner advertisers: Audible, Cards Against Humanity, Harry’s, Loot Crate, MeUndies, R&R Games, Squarespace, and Xero.

“Just as audiences are listening to our shows, we’re listening to and learning from them as well. Earwolf and Wolfpop provide key insights for us, allowing us to delve deeper into new episodic shows and serialized storytelling,” said Midroll Media CEO Adam Sachs. “We are supremely excited to welcome the newest members of our growing creative family, in order to delight audiences old and new with the newest shows.”

Spring Rollout of Fresh, Original Shows

Spontaneanation Leads the Charge

Episode #1 of Spontaneanation launched today, April 1. Host Paul F. Tompkins has appeared on Earwolf more than any other guest, and for good reason. He’s been writing and performing comedy for twenty years racking up a countless number of accolades. Spontaneanation is a completely improvised show, from monologue to interview, to long-form sketch. Join Paul, his special guests, and his incredibly talented friends from the world of improv for an hour of comedy that none of them ever see coming. Xero, Squarespce, MeUndies, Loot Crate, Audible, and Harry’s are the launch sponsors for Spontaneanation.

CARDBOARD debuts on April 9. Actor and new podcast host Rich Sommer loves board games. But we’re not talking about the stuff of your grandparents’ rec room–things have changed a lot since people started to gather around the bridge table. Whether you’re a serious player or a newbie, give a warm welcome to your personal board game evangelist. Ty Burrell of ABC’s Modern Family joins Sommer for the fun as his first guest on episode one. Cardboard is presented by launch partners Cards Against Humanity, R&R Games, Loot Crate, Audible and Harry’s.

April 16 brings the release of The Black List Table Reads. This show takes the best and most exciting screenplays Hollywood hasn’t yet made, and turns them into movies for your ears. Black List founder Franklin Leonard presents a new script every month read by a rotating cast of talented actors, along with interviews with members of the Hollywood screenwriting community and beyond. Harry’s and Loot Crate are our launch partners for The Black List Table Reads.

Marissa Wompler, of Comedy Bang! Bang! fame, gets her own show, Womp It Up! on April 20. The podcast features actress and comedian Jessica St. Clair as beloved intern Marissa, hosting this school project podcast. Actress and comedian Lennon Parham joins her as teacher/mentor/co-host/former-sniper Charlotte Listler to DJ and divvy out love advice. Womp It Up’s launch partners are Squarepsace, Audible and Loot Crate.