Podcast Sponsorship Agreement

What is a podcast sponsorship agreement?

A podcast sponsorship agreement is a legally binding contract between a podcast owner (producer) and a sponsor that provides terms and conditions of paid advertising during the podcast. The parties can use this template for various types of projects, for instance:

• when the podcast owner wishes to monetize a podcast;
• when a brand is willing to promote their services or products;
• when parties are willing to collaborate together.

The parties involved in a podcast sponsorship agreement sample are the producer and the sponsor. The producer is a person or company that owns the rights over the podcast. If the producer is an individual, he or she could be a producer and a host at the same time. If, however, the producer and the host are not the same person, a sponsorship agreement can never be signed by a host who does not have IP rights over the podcast itself.

The sponsor is an independent contractor, business, or organization that is willing to promote their brand, products, or services to a podcast’s audience.

How to draft a podcast sponsorship contract template?

To create a comprehensive and legally solid podcast sponsorship contract template, parties have to include all mandatory provisions below:

Advertising Campaign Details

Advertising and marketing campaigns using podcasts have various formats:

• Ad reads. A host reads marketing or promotional content during the episode’s recording.
• Logo placement. The sponsor’s logo is put on the podcast’s cover or photos of the episode.
• Promotion mentions. The host occasionally mentions your brand during the recording without any prescribed text.
• Other forms of advertising (e.g., reference to the sponsor’s brand or products on the social media channels related to the podcast).

Once the parties decide regarding the preferred type of advertising, another step is to define the frequency and detailed schedule of the advertising campaign. Parties may choose various combinations, including an ad for one episode only, an ad throughout the whole season, etc.

Finally, the sponsor may require the host to submit periodic performance reports. Usually the sponsor needs a report to know more about the size of the audience and how well the podcast actually performs. If this is the case, a good podcast sponsorship agreement example shall lay out the frequency of such reporting, as well as its content (e.g., number of podcast downloads, number of impressions, etc.).

Exclusivity vs. Non-exclusivity

Another important component every podcast sponsorship agreement sample shall address is exclusivity of relations between the parties.

The parties may choose either of the following models of cooperation:

• Full exclusivity. A producer cannot use third parties’ advertising content.
• Partial exclusivity. A producer cannot use third parties’ advertising content that directly competes with the sponsor’s goods, services, or brand.
• Non-exclusivity. A producer may use any third parties’ advertising content.

Review of the Content

A good podcast sponsorship agreement example sets out who should have a right to approve the final content for the publication. Usually this right belongs to the podcast’s producer, who should have a final word in changing and amending the advertising or marketing materials.

Besides that, the text of the document shall also define the producer’s exclusive right to refuse the content’s publication if:

• content violates the terms and conditions of a platform;
• content contradicts applicable federal or state laws;
• content contains sensitive or controversial topics (e.g., religion, politics);
• content is discriminatory (e.g., race, age, disability, etc.).

IP Rights

In the course of cooperation under a podcast sponsorship contract template, both parties get access to each other’s IP rights. Therefore, the wording of the document shall clearly define ownership over the following intellectual property rights:

• podcast, including its title, content, guests, ideas, scripts, and scenarios, shall belong to the producer;
• marketing, advertising, or promotional content shall belong to the sponsor.

To use a sponsor’s content during the podcast episode, the sponsor usually has to issue a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to the producer of the podcast to use such content during the podcast recording and publication.

Payment Terms

A well-drafted podcast sponsorship agreement sample shall define how much, when, and how the sponsor shall pay for provided promotion and advertising services. Thus, the text of the documents has to lay out the following:

• payment model (e.g., fixed fee, fee per one episode, fee per one season, etc.);
• acceptable payment methods (e.g., credit or debit card);
• payment deadlines (e.g., in full on the date of signing the contract, according to a specific schedule); and

Rules for Termination

Finally, a sound podcast sponsorship contract template has to define circumstances when either party can end the contract. Termination could be of two types:

• automatic termination (i.e., a podcast sponsorship contract ends on the last day of the advertising campaign);
• immediate termination (e.g., when a podcast is closed, if the sponsor declared bankruptcy, etc.); or
• planned termination (i.e., when either party sends a termination notice).

Every party to the contract shall have the right to end it, provided a prior written notice is being sent to another party. The notice period differs depending on the contract and may last between 10 and 30 days.

How to customize a legal document template at FasterDraft?

To get a fully customized legal document template, follow a few easy steps below:

1. Click the “Create Document” button.
2. Answer simple questions in the form.
3. Select a template’s format—podcast sponsorship agreement PDF or Word.
4. Make a payment.
5. E-sign, download, and use this template instantly.