Report: Podcasts Offers Marketers Best ROI

Acast, the world’s largest independent podcast company, today released new research on the effectiveness of podcasting for return on ad spend among US marketers. 

According to the study, which surveyed marketers who have spent on multiple podcast campaigns before, podcasts deliver a high return on ad spend, with more than two-thirds (67%) of US marketers saying for every dollar spent on podcasts they see a $2 to $6 return. An additional 20% of US marketers said that for every dollar spent on podcasts, they see a return of $6 or more – the most of any other tested medium.

With this strong return, US marketers are also increasing their investments in the space. According to this research, 68% of US marketers said that their second campaign had a higher budget than their first podcast advertising campaign. In fact, marketers in this study were 34 times more likely to say they had increased their budgets from the first campaign to the second, indicating the overall effectiveness of the medium.

“There may have never been a more crucial time than now for marketers to deliver the highest possible return on every dollar they spend. Our research proves that advertisers understand the value of podcasting for return on ad spend, but it also shows that there is still a knowledge gap in the market for how to buy podcast ads most effectively,” said Gabriella Gregoris, Group Business Director of National Performance at Acast. 

“There is a myth in our industry that successful media buys happen at the show level, when in fact, it’s the marketers who invest in podcast audiences' interests and behaviors who see the strongest returns on their investments. Acast offers the most precise targeting and comprehensive planning capabilities to increase those profit margins.”

Acast research shows that more than half (51%) of US marketers believe that investing in large podcasts delivers the best return on ad spend. However, podcast listeners on small–sized shows were 90% more likely to welcome more ads on the podcast and 29% more likely to say ads on the podcast were very influential than listeners of large–sized podcasts, according to research from Acast earlier this year.

When it comes to reaching these audiences, US marketers agree that first party data targeting is the most effective approach. In fact, in this study, US marketers were most likely to say that first party data targeting had the highest return on ad spend than any other tested form of targeting. Additionally, more than one-third (34%) of US marketers said that contextually-based targeting solutions would deliver return on ad spend in both the $2-$4 range as well as the $4-$6 range.

To learn more about how to increase return on ad spend through podcast advertising, please contact sales.us@acast.com.

Fox News, Fox Audio To Commemorate Memorial Day

FOX News Media (FNM) will present a slate of patriotic veteran-themed programming throughout the week in honor of Memorial Day.

Led by FOX News Channel’s (FNC) signature morning show FOX & Friends (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET), co-hosts Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade will helm the show from FOX Square, the plaza outside the network’s headquarters in New York City, in front of a live audience. On Friday, May 26th, FOX & Friends’ All-American Summer Concert Series will kickoff its 15th season with Grammy-award winning band 3 Doors Down. Sponsored by Lowe’s, the band will perform for members of the United States Navy and Coast Guard while fans are treated to Dickey’s BBQ throughout the show.

Weekend coverage will once again commence with FOX & Friends Weekend, as co-hosts Will Cain, Rachel Campos-Duffy and veteran Johnny “Joey” Jones feature patriotic tributes to the nation’s veterans along with Tunnel to Towers Foundation Chairman and CEO Frank Siller. The U.S. Marine Corps and Navy Ceremonial marching bands will also perform live throughout the program. A former Staff Sergeant, Jones served eight years in the Marine Corps with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before an IED ended his career as a bomb technician, forever changing his life. On June 27th, he will release his first book, “Unbroken Bonds of Battle,” published by FOX News Books, which he will preview this weekend while honoring his family in arms whom he credits to helping him through his arduous recovery process.

DirecTV Keeps NFL Sunday Ticket Rights For Restaurants, Bars

AT&T Inc's DirecTV on Thursday announced a multi-year deal to broadcast the Sunday Ticket package of National Football League (NFL) games for commercial locations including bars, restaurants and casinos in the United States.

The satellite television provider, which had the rights to Sunday Ticket until the end of the 2022 season, said the agreement is set to begin with the upcoming 2023 NFL season.

The company has partnered with EverPass Media, backed by equity firm RedBird Capital Partners and NFL, for the deal.

Sunday Ticket allows subscribers to watch all local and out-of-market U.S. games of the day, while football fans otherwise in any given market can only watch a limited number of games.

With sports being one of the biggest attractions for live viewing and NFL games becoming the most prized sports media asset in the U.S., several companies are now seeking to grow their dominance in live sports streaming.

Google-owned YouTube in December signed a deal to exclusively stream NFL's Sunday Ticket package of games in the United States.

DirectTV also distributes other sports content such as commercial rights for Major League Baseball's "Friday Night Baseball" as well as NFL's "Thursday Night Football" via Amazon's Prime Video.

Disney, Comcast Far Apart On Hulu Value

Disney’s chief executive officer Bob Iger has said his recent talks with Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts over their shared streaming service, Hulu, have been congenial. However, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that was not always the case.

The years-long Hulu tug o’ war between the two companies includes a gigantic valuation gap, calculated — and secretive — maneuvering, and outright fury from both sides. Below are the seven juiciest (yes, corporate-buyout posturing can be juicy!) details from the report.

Unsurprisingly, Comcast, which is likely to sell its one-third ownership stake in Hulu to Disney in early 2024, has a much more generous valuation in mind than its would-be buyer, Disney. However, the chasm between their respective internal valuations is wider than many probably thought.

In 2021, NBCUniversal execs put Hulu’s value “at north of $70 billion,” per the WSJ’s sources. Disney’s own valuation of the service is “tens of billions of dollars” lower. In 2023, it’s unlikely that even Comcast/NBCU would peg Hulu’s valuation at $70 billion, but it wouldn’t hurt to try!

The years-ago agreement between the broadcasters values the streamer at a minimum of $27.5 billion — but that was based on Disney using Hulu as its international service, a person with knowledge of that original agreement told IndieWire. Based on that number, Comcast’s one-third is a bit north of $9 billion. But of course, that’s just the minimum agreed-upon value.

Should the two parties not be able to come to an agreement on valuation, “an independent third party will be enlisted to make a determination,” the Journal wrote. Comcast can force Disney to buy its share out in January.

Chachi Loves Everybody Releases Two New Episodes

Benztown has announced the release of two new episodes of Chachi Loves Everybody, an original podcast produced by Benztown and featuring Benztown President and audio brand builder Dave “Chachi” Denes. 

The first new episode features Chachi’s recent chat from Benztown’s Los Angeles studios with Mark Wallengren, former host of “The Mark & Kim Show” on KOST-FM in L.A., for which he and his co-host Kim Amidon received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Chachi doubles down with radio’s most prominent figures, as he talks to Scott Herman, former Chief Operating Officer of CBS Radio, in the second new episode.

To listen to the new podcast episodes, visit: https://bit.ly/ChachiLovesEverybody.

Chachi Loves Everybody takes listeners with Denes – better known as “Chachi” – as he sits down for candid conversations with radio’s legends, master brand builders, up-and-comers, and innovators in the burgeoning audio space, revealing the true stories behind their successes and their insights into building iconic brands through audio.

R.I.P.: Ed Ames, Singer-Actor Was 95

Ed Ames, a member of the Ames Brothers singing quartet who starred in TV series “Daniel Boone” in the 1960s, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 95, reports Variety.

Ed Ames and his brothers Vic, Joe and Gene had a hit with their version of “Rag Mop” in 1950. As a solo artist, he had hits with “Who Will Answer?,” “My Cup Runneth Over” and “Try to Remember.” In the 1950s, they had a syndicated TV program, “The Ames Brothers Show,” and 49 songs that charted before they broke up in 1963.

He then launched an acting career, which included off-Broadway performances in “The Crucible” and “The Fantasticks,” as well as a starring role on Broadway in “Carnival!” He starred with Kirk Douglas, Gene Wilder and William Daniels in the Broadway production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Although his background was Russian Jewish, Ames was cast several times as a Native American, and played Mingo, a Cherokee Indian character with a British father, for several seasons of the Fess Parker Western “Daniel Boone.”

He became known for his skill in throwing a tomahawk, and on “The Tonight Show” in 1965, he demonstrated his skill for Johnny Carson on a wood panel with an outline of a cowboy. When Ames hit the figure squarely in the groin, Carson ad-libbed: “I didn’t even know you were Jewish!” and then “Welcome to Frontier Bris.” The saucy response caused the studio audience to laugh for four minutes, which has been reported to be the longest laugh by a studio audience in television history.

He also made guest appearances on shows including “The Rifleman,” “McCloud,” “Murder She Wrote,” “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” and “Jake and the Fatman.”

May 26 Radio History

➦In 1886..iconic performer Al Jolson born Asa Yoelson (Died at age 64 - October 23, 1950) was a Russian-born American singer, comedian, and actor. At the peak of his career, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer".  In the 1920s, Jolson was America's most famous and highest-paid entertainer.

Al Jolson - 1938

Although best remembered today as the star of the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer (1927), he starred in a series of successful musical films during the 1930s. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was the first star to entertain troops overseas during World War II.

After a period of inactivity, his stardom returned with The Jolson Story (1946), for which Larry Parks played Jolson, with the singer dubbing for Parks. The formula was repeated in a sequel, Jolson Sings Again (1949). In 1950, he again became the first star to entertain GIs on active service in the Korean War, performing 42 shows in 16 days. He died weeks after returning to the U.S., partly owing to the physical exertion of performing. Defense Secretary George Marshall posthumously awarded him the Medal for Merit.

➦In 1903...Canadian radio pioneer Reginald Fessenden was granted a patent for the liquid barretter microphone.

➦In 1920...singer Peggy Lee, whose real name is Norma Delores Egstrom, was born in Jamestown, North Dakota.

She was among the few singers who can handle any type of song — pop, ballad, country, rhythm-and-blues or jazz. Benny Goodman gave her her stage name when she performed with his band from 1941 to ’43. Lee went out on her own after marrying Goodman’s guitarist, Dave Barbour. Her hit records included “Manana (mahn-YAH’-nah),” ”Fever” — a cover of Little Willie John’s r-and-b song — and ”Is That All There Is?” Peggy Lee died of a heart attack January 21st, 2002. She was 81.

Jimmie Rodgers

➦In 1933...Jimmie Rodgers, the “Father of Country Music,” died of tuberculosis in New York City at age 35, just two days after making his final recording.

He was so ill during his final recording sessions that he had to rest between takes on a cot.  Jimmie Rodgers recorded his first million-seller “T for Texas,” also known as “Blue Yodel,” in 1927, becoming country music’s first superstar. He never appeared on any major radio show or played the Grand Ole Opry. But he, Hank Williams and songwriter-publisher Fred Rose were the first to be elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961.

➦In 1940...CBS Radio first presented “Invitation to Learning”.  The 30-minute Sunday morning program that featured a discussion of great books, with Lyman Bryson as host, continued for 15 years.

Joe Kelly

➦In 1959...Chicago-based radio host Joe Kelly, who MC’d the WLS National Barn Dance & NBC’s Quiz Kids (1940-53), died at age 57.

➦In 1962...the original version of “Twist and Shout,” by the Isley Brothers, was released. The song was revived two years later by the Beatles.

➦In 1971...Don McLean was in New York to record his soon-to-be iconic signature song “American Pie.”

➦In 1989...Radio stations staged 30 seconds of silence at 7:42 AM (EST), to honor Radio.

Edison: 20 Percent of Radio Listening Is Via The Internet

Until rather recently, the word “radio” could be used interchangeably to denote either the device — the ‘radio set’ — or the sounds emanating from that set. There was only one way to listen to radio and that was on a radio.

But with the advent of streaming, and in particular the widespread adoption of smartphones, Listeners can now listen to radio without the radio.

Edison Research's most recent update from Share of Ear® shows that 86% of radio listening time among those age 13+ is now spent on a radio, so 14% is on other devices. The graph below shows that the phone is by far the biggest source of radio listening that doesn’t occur on a traditional radio – more than half of radio streaming happens on a phone.

The graph also shows the same information among 18–49-year-olds. This group now does 20% of its radio listening through the internet, and more than two-thirds of that listening time is on the phone. Computers, smart speakers, and internet-connected TVs account for the remaining shares of listening.

Late last year Edison reported that for total audio listening, the phone surpassed the radio set for the first time. While it is always risky to predict the future, it seems reasonably safe to bet that the phone will be the primary battle zone for consumers’ time spent listening going forward, according to Edison. As of today, only a relatively small portion of time spent listening to audio on the smartphone goes to ‘radio’. As radio charts a future that is less dependent on the single-function ‘radio set’, success on the phone, as well as other internet-enabled devices, is imperative.

TV Ratings: NBA Finals Sweep Prime-Time

The opening three games of the NBA Western Conference finals between the Lakers and Denver Nuggets swept the top three spots in the latest weekly prime-time ratings, with Saturday’s game drawing the largest audience for a Game 3 of an NBA conference final since 2011.

ABC’s coverage of Denver’s 119-108 victory averaged 8.384 million viewers, according to The L-A Times citing live-plus-same-day figures released by Nielsen. ESPN carried the first two games of the series, with the Nuggets’ 108-103 Game 2 victory Thursday averaging 7.656 million viewers and their 132-126 Game 1 victory last Tuesday averaging 7.129 million.

The CBS newsmagazine “60 Minutes” was the only other prime-time program between May 15 and Sunday to average more than 7 million viewers, averaging 7.04 million viewers to finish fourth for the week.

The two-part sixth-season finale of CBS’ comedy “Young Sheldon” accounted for the week’s top two entertainment programs. The second part averaged 6.973 million viewers, fifth for the week and second among nonsports program, while the first part averaged 6.886 million viewers, sixth for the week and third among nonsports programs.

CBS also had the week’s most-watched drama, “NCIS,” seventh for the week and fourth among nonsports programs, averaging 6.656 million viewers.

CBS had six of the week’s top seven nonsports programs, making it the most-watched network for the 10th consecutive week, the 13th time in 14 weeks and 15th time in the last 17, averaging 4.6 million viewers.

ABC was second for the sixth consecutive week following four consecutive third-place finishes, averaging 4.29 million viewers. Its top nonsports program was “American Idol,” eighth for the week and fifth among nonsports programs, averaging 6.616 million viewers.

NBC was third among the broadcast networks for the sixth consecutive week after four consecutive second-place finishes, averaging 3.03 million viewers. “Chicago Fire” topped its ratings for the third consecutive week, averaging 6.021 million viewers, 12th overall and eighth among nonsports programs.

Fox averaged 1.98 million viewers. The procedural drama “9-1-1” was its top-ranked program, averaging 4.323 million viewers, 34th for the week and 27th among nonsports programming.

The top 20 prime-time programs consisted of six NBA playoff games — three on TNT, two on ESPN and one on ABC; six CBS scripted programs and “60 Minutes”; three episodes of “Jeopardy! Masters” and “American Idol” on ABC; and two NBC scripted series and its singing competition “The Voice.”

Why Is ESPN Giving Pat McAfee A Boot Full of Loot?

ESPN has thrown a hail Mary pass to try to save the network, and threw the kitchen sink at Pat McAfee to bring his show to the network. It will now air across ESPN platforms and also remain on YouTube for viewers.

David Hookstead at Outkick calls it a very bold move, and it’s a sign ESPN understands something major has to happen to save the network. However, McAfee’s deal, which is said to pay him alone roughly $10 million annually, has upset some employees at the network amid financial issues and layoffs.

Disney is looking to slash $5.5 billion in costs and 7,000 jobs and ESPN is definitely getting hit. However, there’s some confusion as to how things are so tight layoffs are necessary while the company is throwing cash at McAfee.

ESPN employees reportedly aren’t pleased with the Pat McAfee deal.

“Too soon was the reaction I got from a few friends. Some that were let go are still working there until June. You are coming to grips with your departure, and then you see a big money signing. It’s not anti-McAfee…it’s your ex getting engaged a month after the breakup,” a former unnamed ESPN employee told Front Office Sports.

“There are some people who are upset. The timing of it is curious. They’re paying Aikman, Buck, Stephen A. Smith, and McAfee. And then you’re going to lay people off? Kind of weird. 

Megyn Kelly: Dominion's Carlson Denial Claims Are Weak

Megyn Kelly said Wednesday during her show that Dominion’s “weird, very finely crafted” denials of involvement in Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson’s ousting at Fox could point to a larger conspiracy, according to The Daily Caller.

Carlson retweeted a post Monday featuring a statement from biographer Chadwick Moore in which he claimed to know why Fox News decided to part ways with the top-rated host. Moore alleges that Carlson’s ousting was part of the Dominion Voting Settlement with Fox, though Dominion has denied these claims.

Kelly first acknowledged she doesn’t know how Moore would know this, noting even Carlson isn’t sure.

“I will say this, the Dominion denials on this are weak sauce, all my spidey senses are up as a lawyer when I read the way they deny this and I had Kelly McGuire, my producer, go back and try to find all their denials, what have they have said and these are the two salient ones. First they said, ‘Dominion did not insist on Fox firing Tucker as part of the settlement,’ ‘we did not insist on it,’ hmmm. That’s not enough, that’s too narrow a sliver, that’s too narrow a sliver, then the second one was a little bit wider and they said ‘Dominion made no demands about Tucker’s employment.'”

“Now listen, if you are being accused of making this a deal term, wouldn’t you come out and say it’s not a deal term, it was never discussed, the whole thing’s absurd, why would you say, ‘I never insisted on it, I never demanded it.’ Well was it a deal term or wasn’t it? 

Fox News Strips Tucker Carlson’s Home Studio

Tucker Carlson's Maine Residence (Daily Mail photo)

Fox News crews swooped in and dismantled Tucker Carlson's Maine recording studio just as he was preparing to take his show to Twitter, DailyMail.com has learned exclusively.

And the studio – in a converted barn – will now have to be completely rebuilt after being left in shambles by the network's crew.   'They took the set and everything, all the equipment, the chairs, the desk, the fake walls, everything.'

Now the conservative firebrand is helping work alongside a three-man construction crew at the studio in downtown Woodstock.

Time photo

Carlson, 54, spends his summers in the rural town, 55 miles west of the state capital Augusta, where Fox had built a set in an old barn so he could broadcast the show remotely. He was due to start filming from the satellite studio within a few weeks when he was suddenly fired by the network on April 24. 

Tucker has since given his own crew a new job, to get the studio back up and running. But the removal of the original set meant they had to repair the infrastructure. 'There's no hardware in place at all,' Feeney said. 'There's not even an infrastructure for a TV studio for a long time.' 

The company gave no official reason why they let their most-watched anchor go, but the decision came just six days after Fox settled with Dominion Voting Systems paying the company $787.5 million in a defamation lawsuit.

On May 10, he announced he is launching a new version of his show. He posted a three-minute video on his Twitter page captioned 'We're back,' slamming the mainstream media while telling his followers: 'Starting soon we'll be bringing a new version of the show we've been doing for the last six and a half years to Twitter.'

5/25 WAKE-UP CALL: DeSantis' Bid Leans On Culture Wars

NY Post 5/25/23

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suffered a chaotic start to his 2024 presidential election race on Wednesday when glitches marred an online forum hosted by Twitter owner Elon Musk that was meant to showcase DeSantis' fitness for the job. The Twitter broadcast of the hour-long interview , which had been intended as the formal launch for the DeSantis campaign, lost sound for extended stretches and thousands of users were either unable to join or were dropped. It was an inauspicious start for a campaign predicated on the governor's executive competence. 

Ron DeSantis

"We must end the culture of losing that has infected the Republican Party in recent years," DeSantis said in the event with Musk once the problems were largely resolved. The hashtag #DeSaster was trending on Twitter. DeSantis' entrance in the Republican contest sets up a showdown with his one-time ally, former President Donald Trump, who lost the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden.

Mother-of-three Casey DeSantis, 42, has taken center stage with her dazzling outfits, channeling the classic style of powerhouse First Ladies Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan. DeSantis has faced questions over his apparent lack of charisma and whether his retail politics will be enough to carry him to the Oval Office. So it could be down to Casey, who announced she was free of breast cancer in March, to lead the charm offensive.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made his run for the White House official, announcing his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. DeSantis joins an already crowded field competing against former President Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/epI1yZdJRO

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) May 24, 2023

➤NIKKI HALEY SKEDS CCN TOWNHALL: CNN will host Republican U.S. presidential candidate Nikki Haley for a live town hall in Iowa on June 4, which will be hosted by the network's anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper, CNN said on Wednesday. CNN is getting more Republicans on the air as it seeks political diversity, the chief executive of parent company Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) said earlier this month, just after the network took heat for its broadcast of a May 10 town hall with former Republican President Donald Trump.

E. Jean Carroll will be seeking “very substantial punitive damages” after Donald Trump called her a "whack job" in a CNN town hall. https://t.co/QOQ26sP8cQ

— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 25, 2023

➤DEBT TALKERS SEE PROGRESS: Negotiators for Democratic President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy held what both sides called productive talks on Wednesday to try to reach a deal to raise the United States' $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and avoid a catastrophic default. After a four-hour White House meeting, U.S. House Speaker McCarthy said negotiations had improved and would continue in the evening. He predicted the two sides would reach an agreement, though several issues remain unresolved.  "We've made some progress working down there. So that's very positive," McCarthy told reporters. "I want to make sure we get the right agreement. I can see that we're working towards that."

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said talks remain fruitful. "If it keeps going in good faith, we can get to an agreement here," she said at a briefing while discussions were taking place. But the White House and congressional Democrats also accused Republicans of taking the economy hostage to advance an agenda they could otherwise not pass. They said Republicans need to make more concessions as they will need Democratic votes to pass any deal.

Fox News Tolls Twitter's DeSantis Launch

Fox Digital News Composite

Fox News took a swipe at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Twitter owner Elon Musk over the chaotic launch of a Twitter Spaces event that the governor used to announce his presidential candidacy, reports The Hill.

“Amateur hour,” the banner headline on FoxNews.com read Wednesday evening. “Much hyped Ron DeSantis presidential announcement a disaster on Twitter.”

The network’s homepage also featured a bright red crawl graphic that ran across the bottom of its website with the words “PROGRAMMING NOTE: Want to actually see and hear Ron DeSantis? Tune into Fox News at 8 p.m.”

DeSantis was slated to sit with Fox host and former Republican congressman Trey Gowdy on Wednesday evening, immediately following his discussion with Musk.

The Twitter Spaces event, the first of its kind, got off to a rocky start with audio and connectivity issues delaying the discussion by more than 20 minutes.

Musk and moderator David Sacks, a fellow tech entrepreneur, could be heard on the feed saying “so many people” were joining the space that it was “crashing the servers.”

At its highest point, the space had just more than half a million listeners, a number that pales in comparison to the nightly prime-time shows on Fox.

Fox’s 8 p.m. hour had for the last six years been hosted by controversial host Tucker Carlson, who the network ousted earlier this month — a move that has resulted in the network experiencing a significant dip in ratings during that hour since.

Yikes!!! pic.twitter.com/OYv6Gr9zol

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 24, 2023

Former President Trump, who will take on DeSantis in the GOP primary and who has relentlessly attacked Fox in recent weeks over its coverage of the Florida governor, mocked the rocky rollout on Twitter Spaces in a Truth Social post Wednesday.

42.3 Million Americans Expected to Travel

AAA projects 42.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend, a 7% increase over 2022. This year, 2.7 million more people will travel for the unofficial start of summer compared to last year, a sign of what’s to come in the months ahead.  

“This is expected to be the third busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2000, when AAA started tracking holiday travel,” said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel. “More Americans are planning trips and booking them earlier, despite inflation. This summer travel season could be one for the record books, especially at airports.”  

Nearly 3.4 million travelers are expected to fly to their destinations this Memorial Day, that’s an increase of 11% over last year. Air travel over the holiday weekend is projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels, with 170,000 more passengers – or 5.4% more – than in 2019. Despite high ticket prices, demand for flights is skyrocketing. This Memorial Day weekend could be the busiest at airports since 2005. 

Memorial Day road trips are up 6% over last year. 37.1 million Americans will drive to their destinations, an increase of more than 2 million. Gas prices are lower this holiday compared to last year, when the national average was more than $4 a gallon. Despite the lower prices at the pump, car travel this holiday will be shy of pre-pandemic numbers by about 500,000 travelers. 

More people this holiday are taking other modes of transportation, like buses and trains. These travelers are expected to total 1.85 million, an increase of 20.6% over 2022.