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Artwork for The Business of Content

The Business of Content with Simon Owens

Simon Owens
Youtube
Substack
Local News
Tiktok
Creator Economy
Local Journalism
Buzzfeed
Berkeleyside
Covid-19
Finance
Zyn
Journalism
B2B Media
Book Publishing
The Tilt
Trail Running
Artificial Intelligence
Digital Media
Alts.co
Alternative Investments

The show about how publishers create, distribute, and monetize their digital content.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes299Founded9 years ago
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News CommentaryNews

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Artwork for The Business of Content

Latest Episodes

My newsletter: simonowens.substack.com/

When Ellen Hyslop and her co-founders launched The Gist in 2017, none of them had worked in media or the sports industry. They were young professionals in financial services who had grown frustrated w... more

YouTube

My newsletter: simonowens.substack.com/

Founded in a Detroit garage in the early 2010s, Benzinga started as a scrappy finance blog for everyday stock market enthusiasts. Over the next decade, it grew into a major digital media platform, car... more

YouTube

My newsletter: simonowens.substack.com/

For most of her career, Ashanti Bentil-Dhue didn't have a social media presence. But after spending a decade running a consulting business, she moved from the UK to New York and decided to start shari... more

YouTube

My newsletter: simonowens.substack.com/

For years, the audiobook industry was defined by a single dominant player and a purchasing model that asked listeners to commit to an entire book before they knew whether they would enjoy it. Spotify ... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Brad Oleson
Chief Content Officer at Benzinga
Benzinga
Episode: How a finance blog started in a garage scaled into a financial media empire
Ashanti Bentil-Dhue
Founder of Unpunishable Woman
Unpunishable Media / Unpunishable Woman
Episode: This corporate consultant grew to 260,000 TikTok and YouTube subscribers in only 8 months
Duncan Bruce
Spotify's director of audiobooks partnerships and licensing
Spotify
Episode: The playbook behind Spotify's audiobook expansion
Tim Mak
Founder of The Counteroffensive, veteran journalist
The Counteroffensive / NPR veteran
Episode: Why an NPR reporter left his job to launch a media outlet in Ukraine
Erin Millar
Founder/CEO, Indiegraf and former head of The Discourse
Indiegraf
Episode: This platform is powering over 180 local newsrooms
Mike Rogge
Owner and editor of Mountain Gazette
Mountain Gazette
Episode: This print magazine is thriving by treating itself like a collector's item
Jonathan Hunt
HubSpot's VP of Media
HubSpot
Episode: The software company that's quietly building a media empire
Aaron Wilbur
Founder of The Coaches Site, hockey coaching entrepreneur
The Coaches Site
Episode: How a coaching conference turned into a seven-figure media business
Will Richards
Founder of Overnight Success; founder and operator of Deals OS and related ventures
Overnight Success / Deals OS
Episode: How a niche newsletter about startups evolved into a data business

Host

Simon Owens
Host of The Business of Content, focusing on how publishers create, distribute, and monetize digital content.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 57 ratings
  • Awesome Guests

    Awesome guests — a few episodes in and I’ve already had some super valuable takeaways. Really happy I found this. Subscribed and will be adding this to my future rotation.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    T&M1985
    South Africa3 years ago
  • Excellent Podcast

    Simon is brilliant and thorough. This podcast is full of value. Very important resource for people who want to get better at what they do.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Nancy0707
    United States5 years ago
  • Insightful

    A must for anyone trying to figure out the creators economy.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    caminodelsol
    France5 years ago
  • The host is excellent

    So are his guests. I really appreciate where Simon steers the conversations, the topics he chooses and how raw and genuine these talks are. I’d suggest every J school in the country to listen to this one (actually recommended some of my former professors..) while they all are pondering on where the journalism is headed, this podcast actually shows where it currently is with all the changing landscape of content production.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Regina Revazova
    United States6 years ago
  • Questions are awesome.... the whole vibe is awesome

    Great questions.... I like every episode so far....never heard of some these businesses until now....

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    123marketing
    United States7 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The host steers conversations with thoughtful questions and raw, genuine perspectives.
Guests consistently deliver valuable, practical insights for media and advertising professionals.
Listeners appreciate the depth on monetization and data-driven strategies for publishers.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why an NPR reporter left his job to launch a media outlet in Ukraine
Q: What are your long-term goals for the Counteroffensive in a post-war scenario?
To listen to subscribers and adapt, potentially expanding beyond Ukraine with human-interest journalism from other democracies resisting authoritarianism, while maintaining a sustainable business model.
Why an NPR reporter left his job to launch a media outlet in Ukraine
Q: How do you view the balance between text-based journalism and other formats like video or podcasts?
Text-based reporting remains the core engine for subscriptions; video is not a primary driver for the Counteroffensive, though they do use Substack tools like notes and live sessions for engagement.
Why an NPR reporter left his job to launch a media outlet in Ukraine
Q: What role did investment play in expanding your footprint beyond Kyiv?
Investment from Robert Albritton enabled the Brussels expansion and the hiring of a Chief Revenue Officer to build out advertising and subscription revenue streams, reducing dependence on any single market.
Why an NPR reporter left his job to launch a media outlet in Ukraine
Q: How did you structure The Counteroffensive's growth from a Substack to a multi-publication business?
It started as a freelance effort, then expanded with a team, registered investments, and a pivot to a Beehive-based B2B publication, The Arsenal, along with other titles, while maintaining a subscription-driven model and exploring paid content.
Why an NPR reporter left his job to launch a media outlet in Ukraine
Q: What motivated you to leave NPR and start your own outlet in Kyiv?
A mix of creeping cynicism about the impact of traditional journalism, the desire to tell human-centered stories from the war, and the realization that a local, independent model could sustain itself and grow even amid upheaval.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Business of Content

What is The Business of Content about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Listeners are likely industry professionals who work with publishers, advertisers, and creators to understand monetization, audience data, and distribution across digital channels. Conversations frequently center on first-party data strategies, ad tech, AI in media, and scalable newsroom or content ecosystems, with guest expertise ranging from founder journeys to platform-specific monetization models. A notable strength is its practical, practitioner-focused angle—often featuring operators who have built or transformed media businesses, along with clear takeaways for improving revenue, audience engagement, and operational efficiency. The show tends to attract listeners who value data-driven decision making, transparency in advertising, and ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Business of Content?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Business of Content:

1. Channels with Peter Kafka
2. Mixed Signals from Semafor Media
3. Morning Brew Daily
4. Hard Fork
5. The Startup Ideas Podcast

How many episodes of The Business of Content are there?

The Business of Content launched 9 years ago and published 299 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Business of Content?

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What guests have appeared on The Business of Content?

Recent guests on The Business of Content include:

1. Brad Oleson
2. Ashanti Bentil-Dhue
3. Duncan Bruce
4. Tim Mak
5. Erin Millar
6. Mike Rogge
7. Jonathan Hunt
8. Aaron Wilbur

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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