SponsorHoundGuide · data through Nov 8, 2026
What to put in a sponsorship pitch.
A sponsor reads your pitch on a phone, between other things. It has to answer three questions in a few lines: why us, why this audience, and what exactly are you offering. Here is what to include, in order, with numbers from 14,200 brands that advertised on podcasts and newsletters in the 90 days to Nov 8, 2026.
1. A subject line that names the slot
Name your show and the specific episode, issue or month: "Sponsoring Long Run Weekly's race-season episodes in March". A subject that reads like a newsletter or a generic partnership request gets skipped.
2. Proof the brand already buys ads like yours
Open with what you noticed: the shows or newsletters where the brand advertises, and when. It shows you did the work, and it frames your show as the next obvious buy rather than a cold ask. This is the strongest part of the pitch, because sponsorship is a repeat habit: 75% of the brand-and-show pairings we saw in the window ran in more than one episode or issue.
3. Your audience in one or two lines
Who listens or reads, how many, and why they match the brand's customers. Use the number you can stand behind, such as downloads per episode in the first 30 days, or subscribers and open rate for a newsletter. One concrete detail ("most of our readers run a small online shop") beats a paragraph of demographics.
4. One specific offer
Say what the ad is (a host-read mid-roll, the primary slot in the issue), when it runs and how many times. Offer a short package rather than a single spot: 64% of pairings ran three or more times, so a three-episode test matches how brands already buy, and gives the ad enough runs to show results. Add a price or ask about their budget for the quarter, in one sentence.
5. One clear ask, and an easy no
End with a single question that is easy to answer: "Would you be open to a three-episode test in March?" Offer audience numbers and rates on request instead of attaching a media kit. A one-line opt-out ("Reply 'no thanks' and I won't follow up") makes you look professional and saves both sides time.
Keep it short
About 100 to 150 words is enough. The example pitch on our home page does all five things in four short paragraphs.
Send it to the right place, then follow up once
Send it to the contact the brand publishes for partnerships (see how to find sponsors), from your own email. Follow up once, about a week later, in the same thread. Brands that sponsor widely get many pitches: 184 brands were on twenty or more shows in the window, so a specific, well-timed pitch stands out. And smaller buyers are many: 81% of advertisers were on a single show, often testing the channel and quick to answer.
SponsorHound drafts this for you. For each brand it finds the shows and dates it advertised on, quotes the ad reads, shows the contact the brand publishes, and writes a short pitch for your next episode or issue that you edit and send yourself. Try it free for 7 days.
About the numbers: counted from public podcast and newsletter RSS feeds we track, over the 90 days to Nov 8, 2026, refreshed weekly. A pairing is one brand on one show; "more than one" counts every episode or issue we have seen since Apr 17, 2026.
Questions, answered.
How long should a sponsorship pitch be?
Short enough to read on a phone: about 100 to 150 words, in three or four short paragraphs. Put the brand's name, your show and the specific slot in the first two lines, and leave the media kit for the reply.
Should I include my rates in the first email?
Either works. A price or a simple package (for example three episodes) makes it easy to say yes; asking about their budget for the quarter keeps the door open for a bigger deal. Pick one and keep it to a single sentence.
When should I follow up on a sponsorship pitch?
Once, about a week later, in the same thread, with one new detail such as an upcoming episode that fits the brand. If there is still no answer, move on and try again next quarter.
What should I avoid in a sponsorship pitch?
Generic templates sent to many brands at once, long introductions about yourself, attachments nobody asked for, and messages to personal addresses the brand never published. Each makes a reply less likely.