AdLarge Partners with NumberEight to Deliver Privacy-First AI-Powered Podcast Advertising
The podcast advertising ecosystem is evolving at lightning speed, driven by technology, listener behavior, and privacy regulations. Today, one of the most notable developments comes from AdLarge, a leading audio ad representation company, and its female-first content platform, the Fwd. Network. The company has announced a strategic partnership with NumberEight, a privacy-first audience intelligence platform that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to enable scalable and performance-driven ad campaigns—without cookies or user IDs.
This collaboration marks a significant step in the privacy-first era of podcast advertising, where respecting listener privacy while delivering precise, contextual targeting is paramount.
AdLarge is a recognized leader in the audio advertising industry, providing brands with access to premium audio content, podcasts, and digital audio advertising solutions. Its Fwd. Network is a female-first content platform that champions diverse voices, empowering women creators while delivering engaging, impactful content for listeners.
Through its AMP (AdLarge Podcast Marketplace) and Fwd+ solutions, AdLarge connects advertisers with over 200 million monthly unique listeners, offering reach across top-performing podcasts and niche shows alike.
Who is NumberEight?
Based in London, NumberEight is an innovative tech company specializing in AI-driven audience intelligence for the digital audio space. Unlike traditional ad tech platforms that rely on cookies and listener IDs, NumberEight uses first-party listening signals and anonymized data to help brands connect with relevant audiences—without compromising privacy.
The company’s technology allows advertisers to understand listener behavior, content context, and intent, providing a smarter way to target ads in a privacy-compliant environment.
Why This Partnership Matters in Today’s Digital Landscape
Privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA have forced advertisers to rethink how they target and measure campaigns. Cookies and third-party identifiers are becoming obsolete, making contextual targeting and first-party data strategies critical for future-proofing advertising efforts.
AdLarge CEO Cathy Csukas emphasized the importance of aligning technology with values, stating:
“With NumberEight, we can now offer targeting that is not only precise and effective but also aligned with our values of respecting listener privacy.”
This partnership ensures that brands can continue to deliver relevant messaging, maximize campaign performance, and engage audiences at scale—without violating consumer trust.
How the Technology Works: AI-Powered Precision Without Cookies
At the heart of this collaboration lies NumberEight’s AI-driven technology, which analyzes anonymized first-party listening signals and content metadata. This data helps match brands with high-value audiences based on behavior and context rather than invasive tracking methods.
Key Features of the Technology
Anonymized Listening Data: Uses first-party signals without revealing personal identifiers.
Content Metadata Analysis: Examines podcast themes and context for better ad alignment.
Behavior & Intent Targeting: Targets ads based on real listener engagement patterns.
Privacy-First Compliance: Meets global standards, including GDPR and CCPA.
This approach not only enhances AdLarge’s Fwd+ and AMP products but also sets a new benchmark for privacy-compliant ad targeting in the audio industry.
Advertiser Benefits: Scale Meets Precision
AdLarge and NumberEight are promising advertisers a unique combination of reach and precision. With this integration, brands can:
Activate the Long Tail of Podcasting: Go beyond top-charting shows and tap into niche podcasts that attract incremental audiences.
Optimize Across Demos, Geos, and Interests: Fine-tune campaigns to align with demographic, geographic, and interest-based segments.
Maximize Host-Read and Dynamic Ads: Improve performance of both traditional and programmatic ad formats.
Ensure Privacy-Safe Targeting: Deliver relevant ads without cookies or device IDs.
Robin Sloan, Executive VP of Audio Sales at AdLarge, summed it up:
“We’re moving beyond broad content categories to focus on actual listeners, giving advertisers the ability to reach the right people across a portfolio that already spans 200M monthly uniques.”
One of NumberEight’s most exciting innovations is Podcast Lookalikes, a tool designed to help advertisers discover new podcasts that resonate with their ideal audience.
How Podcast Lookalikes Works
Seed Podcast Analysis: The tool first identifies a “seed podcast” that aligns with a brand’s target demographic.
Demographic Mapping: AI models analyze anonymized first-party publisher data to understand the show’s audience profile.
Content Theme Analysis: Advanced natural language processing (NLP) scans episodes to detect themes and context.
Matchmaking Process: The system surfaces similar shows ranked by audience and content similarity, unlocking untapped inventory for advertisers.
For brands, this means greater discovery opportunities, expanded reach, and smarter campaign diversification.
Privacy-First Approach: Building Trust and Compliance
The shift away from invasive tracking and third-party identifiers is not just a trend—it’s a necessity. Consumers demand privacy, and regulators are enforcing strict compliance.
By embracing privacy-first targeting, AdLarge and NumberEight ensure that:
Listener data remains anonymized and secure.
Campaign strategies comply with GDPR, CCPA, and global privacy standards.
Advertisers can maintain brand safety while optimizing ROI.
Ilwira Marciszek, EVP of Revenue Operations at AdLarge, noted:
“This integration adds a powerful layer of intelligence to our fwd+ and AMP products, strengthening performance while ensuring compliance with global privacy standards.”
Industry Context: Why This Move Is Timely
The podcast industry is experiencing explosive growth, with ad revenues projected to surpass $4 billion by 2025. As the market matures, advertisers need innovative solutions to navigate a cookie-less world while maintaining campaign effectiveness.
NumberEight has been on a partnership spree to address this challenge. In addition to AdLarge, the company has recently joined forces with:
Katz Digital (covering 300,000 podcasts)
SiriusXM’s AdsWizz
Barometer
AdTonos
These alliances signal a broader industry shift toward privacy-compliant targeting.
The Bigger Picture: What It Means for Brands and Listeners
This partnership is not just about ad technology; it’s about reshaping the audio advertising experience for both brands and consumers. For advertisers, it means better ROI, smarter targeting, and greater reach. For listeners, it means relevant ads without sacrificing privacy.
As AI and contextual targeting continue to dominate the ad tech conversation, partnerships like AdLarge + NumberEight could set a new industry standard—combining scale, intelligence, and ethics in digital audio advertising.
Final Thoughts
The alliance between AdLarge and NumberEight represents a pivotal moment in podcast advertising. By leveraging AI-powered audience intelligence and embracing a privacy-first approach, these companies are addressing the industry’s biggest challenges: cookie deprecation, data privacy, and precision targeting.
As podcast consumption grows globally, expect to see more advertisers adopting privacy-compliant strategies like this one. For now, AdLarge and NumberEight have positioned themselves at the forefront of this transformation.
