Energy drink sales in the USNumber of podcasts worldwide
Between 2010 and 2023 the world launched vastly more podcasts and American stomachs absorbed vastly more Red Bulls, and the two categories have risen together (r = 0.958) with the alert energy of two industries that have found their natural customer. The host records the episode; the host drinks the can. Usually in that order. Sometimes simultaneously.
US energy drink sales grew from about $8 billion in 2010 to over $22 billion by 2023, with Monster and Red Bull sharing the top spots and new entrants like Celsius, Alani Nu, and Prime quadrupling the premium end; the total number of podcasts worldwide grew from roughly 200,000 in 2010 to over 5 million by 2023, with Spotify, Apple, and Patreon making the economics minimally viable for indie creators. Both markets ride the same attention economy — where the marginal hour of creative output is increasingly caffeinated — and both absorbed the collapse of traditional radio and soft-drink categories into their expanded territory.
The can opens. The microphone levels green. The next two hours will be energetic, nominally.
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Want to learn more about why correlations like “Energy drink sales in the US” vs “Number of podcasts worldwide” don't prove causation? Read our guide to statistical thinking.
