'Serial' will make podcast more profitable

"Serial" is the podcasting world's first mega hit. And that could translate into bigger audiences and bigger paydays for other podcasters.

According to podcast advertising company Podtrac, the first nine episodes had about 2.2 million listeners each. The top ten podcasts after "Serial" bring in an average of 620,000 listeners per episode. Advertisers have been reluctant to put money into podcasts because the reach was minimal, but that's changing. Some experts say podcast listeners are more engaged than a television audience, especially when the ads are delivered by the host in a similar style as the rest of the show.