Starbooked

School of War, hosted by Aaron MacLean, is a Free Press show where secretaries of state, military historians and war planners discuss the lessons of war and national security. It has 353 episodes released roughly every three days, typically 50 to 75 minutes long. Estimated downloads are 5,000 to 25,000 per episode, with a rate of $120 to $625 per host-read episode slot.

Why brands sponsor School of War

Reach national security decision-makers through a high-rated weekly war and strategy show

  • 554 Apple Podcasts ratings with a 4.5 average, a strong signal of engaged listeners.
  • 353 episodes with a roughly three-day cadence give a long, steady run for sponsorship.
  • Interviews with secretaries of state, historians and war planners attract a serious, analytical audience.
Best fordefense and aerospace brandsprofessional education and booksfinancial and business services
Watch forContent about war and terrorism may not suit lighter consumer campaigns; audience sizes are estimated.

Brand fit report

Content

Topics, IAB taxonomy
News and Politics45%
History35%
Books and Literature10%
Business and Finance10%
Formats
interview, expert conversation, solo commentary
Tone
serious, analytical
Language
English
Production
Studio production
Typical length
45 to 65 minutes

Audience

Commercial intent15/100
Comments asking for links, prices or where to buy
Sentiment75/100
Estimated from titles, descriptions and engagement
Est. downloads per episode5k–25k
Estimated, confidence 60%: 554 Apple Podcasts ratings (band of 200 to 1,000 ratings, 5,000 to 25,000 downloads), 353 episodes, weekly-plus cadence, Megaphone hosting, Free Press publisher, Podcast Index popularity 9.
Audience asks aboutWhat lessons does military history hold for current conflicts?How should the United States prepare for great power competition?What are the strategic implications of drones and new weapons?
Age
10%18-24
25%25-34
27%35-44
38%45+
Gender
30%women
70%men
Countries
🇺🇸 United States85%
🇬🇧 United Kingdom5%
🇨🇦 Canada4%
LanguagesEnglish 100%

Commercial

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

No sponsor mentions found in the feed; the show is published by The Free Press and promotes its own Substack and Instagram.

Suitability GARM Brand Safety Floor + Suitability

Profanitylow
Adultlow
Drugslow
Violencemedium
Politicsmedium

Episodes discuss war, terrorism and terrorists, as in 'When Terrorists Become the Heroes to Young Americans', so violence is flagged as medium.

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 marks30 / 30
Reach Estimated downloads per episode, 20k is full marks15 / 20

Recent episodes

Last six episodes from the show's feed, latest 3 days ago, a new one about every 3 days.

In School of War, CBS News National Security Analyst and Free Press columnist Aaron MacLean sits down with secretaries of state, top military historians, war planners, and key political decision-makers to help understand the lessons of war. Tune in as School of War takes you to the front lines. Aaron MacLean is a former senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He has worked as a foreign policy advisor…
School of War's own show description from the podcast feed

Do you make School of War? Claim or remove this page.

About School of War

School of War is a podcast hosted by Aaron MacLean, a CBS News national security analyst and Free Press columnist who previously served as a senior fellow at Hudson Institute and spent seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps. According to the show's feed, each episode features interviews with secretaries of state, military historians, war planners and political decision-makers about the lessons of war, released roughly every three days with episodes typically running 50 to 75 minutes.

The show has 554 ratings on Apple Podcasts with a 4.5 average, and it is published by The Free Press. Audience figures are not published by the show, so the estimate of 5,000 to 25,000 downloads per episode is inferred from Apple ratings volume, episode count and hosting signals. Listeners are likely to be adults interested in national security and military history, and no sponsors were seen in the feed.

At an estimated 5,000 to 25,000 downloads per episode, a host-read mid-roll would typically cost $120 to $625 per episode. This suits defense technology, professional education and business services brands seeking a serious, policy-literate audience. Sponsors should contact the show through Starbooked.

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

Questions about School of War

How much does School of War charge for a podcast sponsorship?

Based on estimated downloads of 5,000 to 25,000 per episode, a host-read mid-roll is typically $120 to $625. Actual pricing depends on the show's own terms and the sponsor's campaign needs.

What is School of War about?

School of War is a Free Press podcast hosted by Aaron MacLean. It features interviews with secretaries of state, military historians and war planners about national security and the lessons of war.

How do I contact School of War about sponsoring an episode?

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

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