Stitcher

Was an early pioneer in podcast streaming and advertising technology before being absorbed into SiriusXM

Stitcher was a pioneering podcast streaming platform and network founded in 2008 that played a significant role in the early podcast ecosystem. The company provided both a consumer-facing podcast app and a podcast advertising network that connected advertisers with podcast audiences through dynamic ad insertion technology. Stitcher allowed users to discover, stream, and organize podcasts while offering content creators and advertisers tools for monetization and audience measurement. The company was acquired by E.W. Scripps Company in 2016 through its purchase of Midroll Media, Stitcher's parent company at the time, for $50 million. Under Scripps ownership, Stitcher continued to operate as both a consumer platform and an advertising network, competing with other podcast platforms and ad tech providers. In 2020, SiriusXM acquired Stitcher from Scripps for approximately $325 million, integrating it into its growing podcast portfolio. In August 2023, SiriusXM announced it would shut down the Stitcher app and migrate content to other SiriusXM platforms, effectively ending the Stitcher brand. The shutdown was completed by late 2023, with Stitcher's original podcasts moved to SiriusXM's other properties. Stitcher's legacy remained significant as one of the early platforms that helped popularize podcast streaming and demonstrated the viability of podcast advertising as a revenue model.