Are weekly podcasts becoming outdated?

The rise of daily podcast shows continues and not just in news.

The New York Times The Daily podcast became a global leader in news shows when it launched, focusing on single current affairs topic in twenty minutes or so.

And it led the way in showing that there was a listener appetite for daily updates from their favourite podcasts.

Why wait a week if you can get your fix every single day?

The weekly show is nearly an anachronism these days.

People are becoming hooked on their podcast show feeds as much as their social media feeds and it’s a handy comparative example to make when pitching or producing shows for clients.

How many times do you check in on your social media feed during the day? How many times would a podcast follower like to check in on their podcast show feed if they could get new content from it?

With daily shows only running to 20 minutes or so, and with radio shows only expanding their podcast offering more and more, once a day or more is the obvious answer.

Just look at the appetite for rugby podcasts during the Rugby World Cup. The Left Wing, which LastCast Media produces for Mediahuis Ireland, along with the BBC, RTE and Off the Ball produced daily or nearly daily content whilst Ireland’s run in the World Cup continued.

And the public’s response? Each of these rugby shows were generally in the Top 10 not just of the sports charts but of the overall Apple and/or Spotify podcast charts as well.

With Ireland’s exit at the hands of New Zealand in the quarter-finals, Irish sports fans have moved on, but podcast publishers have not.

The horrific Ashling Murphy murder and its subsequent trial which started this week has seen the release of The Trial from Mail Metro Media and All Rise from Newstalk, daily podcasts focused on each’s day events from the courtroom and these podcasts are in the Top 10 of the overall podcast charts.

Then you also have the success of The Stand with Eamon Dunphy and Crimeworld with Nicola Tallant, that release episodes nearly every single day.

Podcasts are not radio though. They are more like specialist publishers, delving deep into the topics that have captured people’s attentions which require us to keep coming back for more.

Podcasts have become so immersed in our daily lives that weekly shows don’t cut it any more. The podcast feed has become akin to a social media one and the more you can keep people coming back, the more your show will keep riding high in the charts - factored as they are on momentum amongst other things - and the more your listeners will turn into fans.

It’s time to rethink your podcast feed and see how you can tweak and develop new content to be released beyond just your normal weekly broadcast date.

The Left Wing Live Coming to the 3Olympia

Ireland’s chart-topping rugby podcast, The Left Wing, produced by LastCast Media, is coming to the 3Olympia Theatre on Thursday 19th October, in conjunction with MCD Promotions.

Ahead of the World Cup semis and with Ireland potentially playing for a World Cup final place, it promises to be a great night of rugby discussion and banter with Luke Fitzgerald and Will Slattery being joined by Bernard Jackman , Stephen Ferris and guests.

Tickets priced from €29.90 including booking fee and are on sale now at:

https://www.ticketmaster.ie/venueartist/198239/5433842

The live show is another development in the huge growth of The Left Wing podcast, especially since it began releasing daily episodes during the Rugby World Cup. Watch this space for more to come from The Left Wing.

The Left Wing Short-Listed for the Irish Podcast Awards

Fantastic news to see Ireland’s number 1 rugby podcast, produced by LastCast Media, has been shortlisted in the Sports category for the Irish Podcast Awards.

The winners will be announced at an awards do in Dublin in November but it’s another great achievement for the show that has been going from strength to strength since the start of the Rugby World Cup.

With daily episodes from the Irish Independent rugby team of Sinéad Kissane, Rúaidhrí O’Connor and Cian Tracey in France, as well as weekly in-depth analysis from Luke Fitzgerald and Will Slattery in Dublin, the Left Wing podcast has been sitting at Number 1 in the Apple Sports podcast charts and most impressively, is in the Top 5 of the overall Apple podcast charts alongside Crimeworld and the Indo Daily.

Video episodes of the podcast on YouTube have also proven hugely popular and with further plans to develop the show, watch this space and fingers crossed for the awards night in November.

Listen & follow the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Rugby World Cup Fever

The beginning of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and with it Ireland’s place as the number 1 ranked team in the world, has meant that hope and expectations are at an all-time high for the Irish public.

Could we actually be celebrating a World Cup winning Irish sports team come the end of October?

The Left Wing podcast, produced by LastCast Media, for Mediahuis Ireland, is releasing daily episodes for the duration of the tournament with the Irish Indo’s team of rugby writers over in France also joined by Luke Fitzgerald, Will Slattery and Jonathan Bradley in Ireland to bring team announcements, the latest news and the best post-match analysis.

Interest in rugby podcasts has soared in the build-up to the tournament and with it The Left Wing podcast is riding high in the charts on Apple and Spotify - and it’s not just the sports charts either, the Left Wing is hitting the Top 10 of the overall Apple and Spotify charts showing just how much interest there is in the show.

Listen and follow on Apple or Spotify and you’ll never miss a thing from the Rugby World Cup.

Agriland's The Farming Week

We’re delighted to be working with Ireland’s largest digital publisher of agricultural news, Agriland Media, on their first podcast production.

LastCast Media is working with their expert team of editors and journalists to bring you The Farming Week, a weekly podcast show that covers the most important stories in Irish agriculture from the Agriland news desk.

Released every Friday, The Farming Week, will make sure those involved in Irish agriculture will stay up-to-date on the most important stories of the week.

Listen & follow on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts from and stay tuned as Agriland develops further exciting podcasts in the future.

The Throw-In Hurling & Football Championship Podcasts

The Throw-In, the Irish Independent’s popular GAA podcast, is now being split into two separate shows with separate hurling and football episodes each week being produced by LastCast Media.

With so many talking points around the games, The Throw-In Hurling and The Throw-In Football shows will give the presenters and contributors more time each week to delve into and dissect the issues that GAA fans are talking about.

The Throw-In Hurling show is presented by Michael Verney with Kilkenny legend, Eddie Brennan, and Waterford legend, John Mullane, joining Michael each week to give their thoughts and provide plenty of frank and honest opinions.

The Throw-In Football show is presented by Will Slattery and he’s joined by Monaghan legend, Dick Clerkin, and GAA writers from the Irish Independent, including Donnchadh Boyle, Colm Keys, Conor McKeon and Frank Roche.

Each show is released on Monday lunchtime and you can listen and follow on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Commit 2 Lead

LastCast Media is delighted to be working with McNulty Performance once again producing digital audio content around Enda McNulty’s latest book, Commit 2 Lead, which was launched to a packed audience from the worlds of business, media and entertainment in the Mansion House this week.

It’s a book full of insights, wisdom and experience on how to first of all lead yourself before then looking to lead others.

Listen out in the near future for the audiobook and podcast series around Commit 2 Lead.

In the meantime, you can listen to previous podcast series from Enda here.

Six Nations Special Episodes

The start of the 2023 Six Nations is of huge interest to Irish rugby fans, especially as this is a Rugby World Cup year, and the Ireland is ranked number one in the world.

Expectations are high and so is the demand for Irish rugby podcasts.

During the Six Nations and over the next five match-weeks, LastCast Media will be producing additional Left Wing episodes.

There will be Monday squad updates, the usual midweek, in-depth analysis from Luke Fitzgerald, team news on Thursdays and feature interviews on the teams Ireland will be facing.

Plus, the hugely popular post-match analysis shows right after the final whistle will be back.

With Will Slattery and Sinéad Kissane presenting and joined by the Irish Independent’s rugby team of Rúaidhrí O’Connor, Cian Tracey, Luke Fitzgerald and guests, the Left Wing is already soaring high in the podcast charts meeting the demands for ever-more rugby episodes during this important tournament.

Stay tuned for even more to come during the Rugby World Cup in 2023.

Listen & Follow on Apple/Spotify.

The Water Forum for Science Week 2022

LastCast Media was delighted to work again with the National Water Forum, An Fóram Uisce, producing a special podcast and video episode as part of Science Week 2022.

Dr. Triona McGrath, Research Lead, National Water Forum, presented a discussion on Water Management & Climate Action with colleagues and experts including:

Dr Michele McKeown, Assistant Professor, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences,  University College Cork;

Dr Fiachra O’Loughlin, Assistant Professor, Dooge Centre for Water Resources Research, University College Dublin;

Professor Conor Murphy, Irish Climate Analysis and Research UnitS (ICARUS)  Maynooth University.

The video is available to watch on the Water Forum’s YouTube channel and on their newly, created podcast channel which can be listened to via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts from.

The Left Wing November Internationals Coverage

For the duration of the Irish rugby November internationals against South Africa, Fiji and Australia, the Left Wing podcast will be releasing three episodes each week.

The usual Wednesday show with Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald providing in-depth Irish rugby analysis will appear, along with shorter Thursday team news episodes looking at the starting XV announcement, presented by Sinead Kissane.

The third show of the week is a post-match reaction show with Irish Independent writers from the Aviva stadium minutes after the final whistle.

Video clips featuring the best of the episodes are also recorded and released on the Irish Independent’s Sports Facebook channel.

All three shows have seen a huge increase in weekly listenership showing the appetite for more podcast rugby coverage from one of Ireland’s favourite rugby podcasts.

Listen and follow The Left Wing on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from.