Starbooked

Central Air

Hosted by Josh Barro, Megan McArdle, Ben Dreyfuss

Central Air is a weekly American politics conversation hosted by Josh Barro, Megan McArdle and Ben Dreyfuss, with guests such as Andrew Sullivan and Matt Yglesias. The show has 50 episodes released roughly every seven days, typically 40 to 60 minutes. Estimated downloads per episode are 5,000 to 25,000, with a suggested rate of $90 to $625 per episode.

Why brands sponsor Central Air

Engaged weekly American politics audience with a 4.4 Apple rating across 490 ratings

  • Weekly episodes of 40 to 60 minutes give sponsors a consistent slot for host-read messages.
  • The Apple Podcasts rating of 4.4 from 490 ratings signals an engaged, satisfied listener base.
  • Guest-driven episodes with analysts and journalists attract listeners interested in news and policy.
Best forsubscription news productsbooks and long-form mediacivic and policy-adjacent brands
Watch forPolitical content is high-profile and explicit-flagged, so brands need a tolerance for contested topics.

Brand fit report

Content

Topics, IAB taxonomy
Politics70%
News15%
Society15%
Formats
co-hosted banter, interview, topical roundtable
Tone
analytical, conversational
Language
English
Production
Clean, edited audio
Typical length
38 to 60 minutes

Audience

Commercial intent10/100
Comments asking for links, prices or where to buy
Sentiment70/100
Estimated from titles, descriptions and engagement
Est. downloads per episode5k–25k
Estimated, confidence 50%: 490 Apple ratings points to the 200 to 1,000 band (5,000 to 25,000 per episode), with the show's young age, weekly cadence and Substack hosting as adjustments, and a Substack subscriber count of over 6,000 as context.
Audience asks aboutHow do current political debates and policy issues like inflation and education play outWhat do guest analysts such as Sarah Longwell or Jonathan Chait think about the newsHow do cultural and generational trends shape American politics
Age
15%18-24
30%25-34
25%35-44
30%45+
Gender
40%women
60%men
Countries
🇺🇸 United States85%
LanguagesEnglish 100%

Commercial

0%of the last 20 episodes had a sponsor
None seenno sponsor mentions in the last 20 episodes
Brands seen
None yet
Categories promoted
None yet
Affiliate links
No

No sponsor mentions found in the feed

Suitability GARM Brand Safety Floor + Suitability

Profanitymedium
Adultlow
Drugslow
Violencelow
Politicshigh

Feed is flagged explicit and episode titles such as 'Gays In Crisis' and 'Choose Your Own Religion' touch on sensitive social topics; the political focus is high.

We classify content, never people. No age, gender, ethnicity, religion or political views are inferred about the creator. Audience figures are estimates unless marked verified. Creators can correct anything on their profile.

Where to listen

Benchmark score: 90 / 100

Public rule, same for everyone. How it works.

Consistency Latest episode within the usual cadence50 / 50
Activity Episodes in the last 90 days, weekly is full marks30 / 30
Reach Estimated downloads per episode, 20k is full marks15 / 20

Recent episodes

Last six episodes from the show's feed, latest 4 days ago, a new one about every 7 days.

Central Air, the show where the temperature is always just right. Join Josh Barro, Megan McArdle and Ben Dreyfuss every week for a well-centered conversation on American politics. www.centralairpodcast.com
Central Air's own show description from the podcast feed

Do you make Central Air? Claim or remove this page.

About Central Air

Central Air is a weekly American politics podcast hosted by Josh Barro, Megan McArdle and Ben Dreyfuss, published through Substack. The show combines co-hosted discussion with interviews featuring guests such as Andrew Sullivan, Matt Yglesias and Sonny Bunch, covering news, policy and cultural debates. The feed lists 50 episodes released about every seven days, with a median length of roughly 48 minutes.

The show's Apple Podcasts listing shows 490 ratings with an average of 4.4 out of 5, and the Substack page reports over 6,000 subscribers. Audience figures are estimates, not published download counts: the rating volume suggests roughly 5,000 to 25,000 downloads per episode, and the audience is likely politically engaged adults across age groups, mostly in the United States.

No sponsors are named in the feed or on the website. Based on the estimate, a host-read mid-roll would cost about $90 to $625 per episode, suiting brands that want to reach engaged American political listeners.

Written from the show's public RSS feed, its Podcast Index listing and episode titles. Numbers updated 2026-10-19. Central Air can edit or remove this page at any time.

Questions about Central Air

How much does Central Air charge for a podcast sponsorship?

Based on an estimated 5,000 to 25,000 downloads per episode, a host-read mid-roll is suggested at about $90 to $625 per episode. Exact pricing depends on the show's own terms and is not published in the feed.

What is Central Air about?

Central Air is a weekly American politics podcast hosted by Josh Barro, Megan McArdle and Ben Dreyfuss. Episodes feature co-hosted discussion and guest interviews on news, policy and cultural debates.

How do I contact Central Air about sponsoring an episode?

The show's contact email unlocks on Starbooked for $0.80. Boosted shows can also be booked through Starbooked.

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