How to advertise on RedHanded: what it costs, who buys, and how to book

RedHanded sells its host-read inventory direct, not through a large network, and it's quoted per campaign rather than off a public rate card. Spotsnow attributes an almost total direct-response posture to the show: roughly 99% of its detected ads are coded host-reads built to move a sale. Its top spender, IQBAR, has run an estimated 29 to 34 ads here, the kind of repeat cadence that only happens when the math keeps working. For a buyer, that mix reads clearly: this is a performance feed, not a branding play. Spotsnow estimates all of this from tracked advertiser activity, not audience surveys.

You can see the full profile for RedHanded on Spotsnow.

Why RedHanded is built for host-read direct response

Suruthi Bala (an economics background) and Hannah Maguire (an anthropologist) host the British true crime show, which launched in 2017 and has taken the British Podcast Awards Listeners' Choice three times running. It sits in true crime, a category Spotsnow tracks alongside adjacent slots like photography, where one of its anchor brands is classified.

With about 99% of ads running as direct-response, per Spotsnow, the format does the heavy lifting: discount codes, vanity URLs, and clean attribution back to the read. Spotsnow estimates the show reaches roughly 285,000 listeners, and that number is an estimate, not an audited count. What matters more than the size is the shape of the show. RedHanded runs on long, wandering case narratives and sharp banter, so the listener stays parked in the feed through the break. A host-read borrows exactly that attention. When Suruthi or Hannah pivots to a sponsor, the trust built over a 45-minute deep dive rides along with the pitch.

Influence here is concentrated rather than spread thin. Spotsnow data shows roughly 198,000 Instagram followers, and the show's real gravity lives inside the feed itself, where the "Spooky Bitches" fanbase shows up week after week. That concentration is why coded reads convert: the audience is loyal, engaged, and used to acting on what the hosts recommend.

Who is advertising on RedHanded

The roster leans DTC and direct-response, with a mix of household names running alongside the coded-read regulars. Recognizable brands seen recently include Shopify, BetterHelp, Quince, Progressive, and Chime.

The anchor advertisers, broken down

IQBAR

IQBAR sells brain-focused nutrition bars, protein bars, and hydration and coffee mixes. Spotsnow data shows it has run an estimated 29 to 34 ads on the show, with an estimated total spend over $200K, and Spotsnow classifies nearly all of it as direct-response. It's the top spender and the anchor here. A functional-nutrition impulse buy fits a young, engaged audience that listens on the go and responds to a code.

Honey Love

Honey Love is a shapewear and apparel brand. Spotsnow estimates 26 to 30 ads on the show and an estimated total spend over $200K, classified entirely as direct-response. A heavily female-skewing audience is a natural match for a DTC bras and shapewear brand, which is why the reads repeat.

Aura Frames

Aura Frames makes WiFi-connected digital photo frames sold direct to consumers, gifting-driven by design. Spotsnow data shows 13 to 15 ads on the show with an estimated total spend over $100K, classified entirely as direct-response. A gift-oriented product lands with an engaged, family-connected listener base, especially in the run-up to holidays.

All spend figures are Spotsnow estimates.

Why true crime brands cluster here

The mindset is the pitch. RedHanded's audience skews young and heavily female, splits between the US and the UK, and sits mostly in the middle-income band, per Spotsnow. That profile is why a shapewear brand, a functional-nutrition brand, and a gifting brand all buy the same feed and keep coming back. These aren't passive listeners. They finish 45-minute episodes, they follow the hosts across a book and a live tour, and they trust two people who have spent years earning that trust one case at a time. Layer a coded read on top of that and the endorsement carries weight a produced spot never gets close to. A buyer with a DTC product and a promo code is buying intent, not just impressions.

What makes a show like this convert

1. The format does the selling. Nearly all reads are host-delivered direct-response, so a code or URL ties the sale straight back to the episode.
2. Host credibility transfers. Two award-winning hosts with an economics and anthropology background lend real authority to what they recommend.
3. The audience is a match, not a mass. A young, heavily female, mostly middle-income base explains why apparel, nutrition, and gifting brands land here.
4. Repeat buying proves the math. IQBAR alone has run an estimated 29 to 34 ads on the show, which brands don't do unless the reads pay back.

RedHanded in a nutshell

Listeners skew young and heavily female, split between the US and the UK and mostly middle-income, per Spotsnow. The brands already buying, led by IQBAR, Honey Love, and Aura Frames, run coded host-reads rather than produced spots. The show is sold direct rather than through a large network, and quoted per campaign. If you're a DTC brand with a promo code and an attribution model, this is a direct-response buy first and an awareness buy a distant second.