Starbooked

Roderick on the Line

Hosted by Merlin Mann, John Roderick

Roderick on the Line is a weekly phone call between Merlin Mann and John Roderick of The Long Winters, covering philosophy, society and whatever comes up in a frank conversation. The show has 645 episodes, updated roughly biweekly to weekly, typical length not confirmed by the feed. Estimated 5,000 to 25,000 downloads per episode (estimated). Estimated host-read rate $90 to $630 per episode.

Why brands sponsor Roderick on the Line

Long-running, frank weekly conversation with a loyal, highly rated audience

  • 645 episodes since 2011 indicate a durable, backcatalog-rich show
  • Apple rating of 4.8 from 998 ratings signals strong listener satisfaction
  • Patreon-funded with no sponsor clutter, so a host-read spot stands out
Best forbrand awareness for a niche audiencecreative or lifestyle products
Watch forExplicit flag and frank adult tone; confirm fit before booking.

Brand fit report

Content

Topics, IAB taxonomy
Philosophy & Religion40%
Society35%
Humor25%
Formats
co-hosted banter, phone conversation
Tone
candid, irreverent
Language
English
Production
Home recording
Typical length
null

Audience

Commercial intent10/100
Comments asking for links, prices or where to buy
Sentiment75/100
Estimated from titles, descriptions and engagement
Est. downloads per episode5k–25k
Estimated, confidence 50%: 998 Apple ratings for a show older than five years maps to the 200 to 1,000 ratings band (5,000 to 25,000); the feed window of 20 episodes and the 645-episode catalog are not fully consistent, and no sponsors, Patreon funding and Podcast Index popularity 9 were used as weak adjusters.
Audience asks aboutWhat did Merlin and John discuss this weekWho is John Roderick and what does The Long Winters doIs there a transcript or a way to hear older episodes
Age
0%18-24
0%25-34
0%35-44
0%45+
Gender
0%women
0%men
Countries
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
Yes

Website links to Patreon support for the program; no sponsor mentions found in the feed titles or recent episode descriptions.

Suitability GARM Brand Safety Floor + Suitability

Profanityhigh
Adultmedium
Drugslow
Violencelow
Politicslow

Feed explicit flag is set to 1 and the show is a frank, unscripted adult conversation; titles themselves are mild.

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: 91 / 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 marks21 / 30
Reach Estimated downloads per episode, 20k is full marks15 / 20

Recent episodes

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

Merlin Mann's frank & candid weekly phone call with John Roderick of The Long Winters
Roderick on the Line's own show description from the podcast feed

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About Roderick on the Line

Roderick on the Line is a weekly phone conversation hosted by Merlin Mann and John Roderick of The Long Winters, covering philosophy, society and the topics that arise between them. According to the feed and the show's website, the show has 645 episodes since September 2011, with recent episodes released roughly every one to two weeks. Apple Podcasts shows 998 ratings averaging 4.8 stars.

Audience figures are estimates, not published download data. Based on the Apple ratings count and the show's age, the show is estimated at 5,000 to 25,000 downloads per episode. The show is funded through Patreon and the feed shows no sponsors in recent episode titles.

Brands seeking a long-running, conversational show with an explicit tone and a loyal listener base may find a host-read placement fits. The estimated rate of roughly $90 to $630 per episode is based on the download estimate above, not on any published rate card.

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

Questions about Roderick on the Line

How much does Roderick on the Line charge for a podcast sponsorship?

No published rate card exists. Based on an estimated 5,000 to 25,000 downloads per episode, a host-read mid-roll would be roughly $90 to $630, subject to negotiation with the show.

What is Roderick on the Line about?

It is a weekly, frank phone conversation between Merlin Mann and John Roderick covering philosophy, society and whatever comes up. The show has 645 episodes since 2011.

How do I contact Roderick on the Line about sponsoring an episode?

The show's contact email unlocks on Starbooked for $0.80, and boosted shows can be booked through Starbooked.

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