Sponsorship pitch template and rate maths
A sponsorship pitch is a one-page offer that says who listens, what you will make for the brand, and what it costs. The rate comes from your own numbers, not from a figure someone quoted you.
In short: Build the pitch around your listeners and your recent episodes. Price each sponsor read with a simple sum: average downloads per episode, divided by 1,000, multiplied by the price per thousand you are asking for. Label the ad at its start with a clear word such as "sponsored". Check every figure against your hosting stats before you send it.
A sponsorship pitch works when the brand can see who listens and what they get for their money. Start with your own data, keep the pitch to one page, and use a simple sum to set the fee.
What the template is for
The template sets out your show, your listeners, the sponsor placements you offer, and the fee for each. It is a starting point for a first email or a deck. Fill in the blanks from your hosting dashboard and your last ten episodes, then send the pitch with the sum visible so the brand can check it.
Get the template
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Open the watermarked preview (PDF)
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The rate sum
Most podcast sponsorship is priced per thousand listens, often called CPM. The sum is:
Fee per spot = (average downloads per episode ÷ 1,000) × price per thousand
Use the average from your last ten episodes, not your best episode. A brand that checks your stats will notice a spike, and a spike that cannot be repeated damages trust.
Here is a worked example with invented numbers, chosen for the sum and not a market rate. An imaginary show averages 800 downloads per episode, and its owner asks £20 per thousand for one spot. The sum is 800 ÷ 1,000 = 0.8, multiplied by £20, which gives £16 for one spot. Two spots and a longer run would multiply that, and the owner would add the cost of writing and recording the read.
Work out the cost of your own time too. Recording a read, editing it in and checking the file all take time. A fee that does not cover that time is a discount you are giving without saying so.
What the survey says about sponsorship
Alitu and The Podcast Host's Independent Podcaster Report 2025 surveyed 558 independent creators. Only about 15 per cent of respondents said their podcast made money at all. Among those who earned, 41 per cent said sponsorship was their most profitable method. The report does not give a sponsorship rate, so use it to judge the route, not the price.
Label the ad
The Advertising Standards Authority published guidance on ads read by podcast hosts in May 2024, which took effect in August 2024. It says the label should come at the start of the ad, and that listeners recognised "paid-for advertisement" and "sponsored" best. Keep the label short. A long disclaimer at the end of a read is not a label.
Mistakes to avoid
- Quoting a price per episode with no listen numbers behind it.
- Using a single strong download figure rather than an average.
- Forgetting the time spent recording and editing the read.
- Pitching a brand whose product your listeners would not use.
- Burying the sponsor label in the show notes.
The podcast budget guide shows what a show costs to make, which is the other side of the sum. The influencer and creator ad labelling guide covers the same labelling rules for video. Granary's Podcast Studio records and edits episodes, and the Classic package is £395 per recorded episode +VAT, including thirty short-form cuts.
Sources
- Alitu and The Podcast Host, Independent Podcaster Report 2025, read 5 November 2026
- Advertising Standards Authority, New guidance on making ads clear in podcasts, read 5 November 2026
Related guides
The picture at the top of this page is an illustration, not a photograph of a client or a real job.
Questions we get asked
How much should a podcast charge for sponsorship?
There is no fixed rate. Work it out from your average downloads per episode and the price per thousand listens you can justify, then check what comparable shows in your niche charge before you send the pitch.
How do I label a sponsored podcast ad in the UK?
Say at the start of the ad that it is sponsored or a paid-for advertisement, using a short, clear label. The ASA guidance says the label should come up front and not be buried in the show notes.
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