From revenue protection to podcast monetization, SiriusXM’s John Harris shares how ad tech ops is scaling for the future—and why education may be the key to unlocking audio’s next big leap.
When John Harris, Senior Director of Ad Technology Operations at SiriusXM, joined Andrew Byrd at the AdMonsters Sell-Side Summit in Nashville, the conversation quickly moved from day-to-day operations to the future of podcast monetization.
“Day to day, I’m thinking about how we drive and protect revenue today—while ensuring we have the scale and efficiency to support what’s coming next,” Harris said. “It’s about operating at scale efficiently, while also making sure the team feels supported and has opportunities to grow.”
That mix of stability and forward motion defines Harris’s approach to ad tech ops. His team focuses on maintaining efficiency across SiriusXM’s brands—including Pandora and Stitcher—while setting the stage for new monetization opportunities in audio and beyond.
Podcasting’s Expanding Universe
Harris views podcasting as being at a pivotal moment. “We’re seeing a big shift in podcasting toward a more multi-channel consumption pattern,” he explained. “Audio will still be a predominant format—about 25% of all media consumed is audio—but it only represents around 8% of digital ad spend. Podcasts can help close that gap.”
For SiriusXM, that means enabling creators to meet audiences wherever they are—on audio, video, social media, or even live events.
“We’re focused on enabling creators to find their audience wherever that may be and connecting brands and advertisers to that audience,” he said.
Why Advertisers Haven’t Tuned In—Yet
Despite growing listener numbers, podcasting’s share of ad budgets remains small. Harris believes it comes down to understanding.
“It’s just education about the value of the medium,” he said. “Historically, there’s been more focus on video and social, but with so many consumer devices being audio-centric, there’s a huge opportunity to grow in the audio space.”
As measurement and attribution tools improve, Harris expects advertiser confidence to rise. For now, his focus is on making sure SiriusXM’s systems—and people—are ready for that growth when it hits.
For Harris, ad operations isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about building the runway for the next phase of audio innovation.