E534 - Saying No To Sponsors For Your Podcast - Making Money With Your Podcast is Not Every Podcaster’s Main Desire

2026-01-04

Download

Episode 534 - Saying No To Sponsors For Your Podcast - Making Money With Your Podcast is Not Every Podcaster's Main DesireIn this episode of The How To Podcast Series, Dave explores one of the most misunderstood truths in the podcasting world: not every podcaster wants sponsors, needs sponsors, or should build their show around sponsorship deals. While sponsorships dominate the conversation in podcasting circles, they’re not the only path—and for many creators, they’re not even the right one.Dave begin...

Episode 534 - Saying No To Sponsors For Your Podcast - Making Money With Your Podcast is Not Every Podcaster's Main Desire

In this episode of The How To Podcast Series, Dave explores one of the most misunderstood truths in the podcasting world: not every podcaster wants sponsors, needs sponsors, or should build their show around sponsorship deals. While sponsorships dominate the conversation in podcasting circles, they’re not the only path—and for many creators, they’re not even the right one.

Dave begins by challenging the assumption that sponsorship is the “gold standard” of podcast monetization. For newer podcasters especially, the race to secure sponsors can add pressure, obligation, and creative compromise long before a show is ready. He explains how ads can shift the tone, interrupt the flow of episodes, or create a sense of performance anxiety when the joy of creating should be the priority.

To show what’s possible outside of the traditional sponsorship model, Dave highlights the Savannah Bananas, a wildly successful baseball team-turned-entertainment brand that flipped the industry on its head without relying on sponsors. They built a powerful, loyal fan base by focusing on:

experience and community
innovative ideas
a product worth talking about
direct value for their audience

More importantly, Dave reminds listeners that you don’t have to monetize at all—and many podcasters don’t. For some, the show itself is the reward: a creative outlet, a networking tool, a way to serve others, or a chance to document ideas and conversations worth sharing.

He emphasizes that saying “no” to sponsors isn’t a failure or a missed opportunity—it’s a choice that podcasters can make intentionally, based on what kind of creator they want to be and what kind of relationship they want with their audience.

As the episode closes, Dave encourages podcasters to build a show that aligns with their values rather than chasing industry pressure. If sponsorships someday make sense, they’ll be there. If they don’t, the podcast can still be wildly successful on its own terms—just like the Savannah Bananas.

Key Takeaway:
You don’t need sponsors to have a meaningful, impactful, or successful podcast. Saying “no” to sponsorship can actually open the door to more creative freedom, stronger audience trust, and monetization paths that fit your show—not someone else’s definition of success.

Their success proves that sponsorship isn’t the only path—and sometimes avoiding it altogether leads to more creativity, flexibility, and long-term loyalty.

Dave then helps podcasters evaluate whether a sponsor model is the right approach for their show. Sponsorships can be great for podcasts with large, consistent reach and a clear niche audience. But for many indie creators, alternatives may be more aligned with their goals, values, or production style.

He walks through additional ways podcasters can think about value, impact, and income without depending on pre-roll ads or mid-roll breaks. These include: