How to advertise on Theories of the Third Kind: what it costs, who buys, and how to book

Theories of the Third Kind sells its host-read inventory direct, quoted per campaign rather than off a public rate card, and Spotsnow data shows more than nine in ten of its ads run as direct response. Its top advertiser, Shopify, runs entirely host-read, roughly 7 to 8 ads tracked on the feed. For a buyer, that mix reads clearly: this is a conversion feed built on coded offers, not a branding buy. Spotsnow estimates all of this from tracked advertiser activity, not audience surveys. You can see the full breakdown on Theories of the Third Kind.

Why Theories of the Third Kind is built for host-read direct response

The show is hosted by Aaron Swift alongside Dan Sunn and Hansen, a San Antonio trio with an IT background that they've folded into episodes on the Dead Internet Theory and declassified files. It sits in the information technology and services advertiser mix, driven by Shopify at the top of the roster.

Spotsnow attributes a direct-response share above 90% of ads here, which is the part that matters most. Direct response means codes, vanity URLs, and attribution a brand can measure the week the ad runs. Spotsnow estimates reach at roughly 130,000 listeners, an estimate rather than an audited count.

The format is what makes the coded read work. These are long, narrative case files, so the audience sits through the whole episode and stays with the hosts across the break. A host-read borrows that trust. When Aaron says the show uses a product, the endorsement carries because listeners already treat the trio as the authority in the feed.

Influence backs that up. Spotsnow data shows an Apple Podcasts rating around 4.6 stars across roughly 6,000 to 6,700 ratings, with roughly 43,000 YouTube subscribers and about 30,000 Instagram followers, plus an active TikTok. The presence is video-first and spread across platforms, so the endorsement travels beyond the audio feed.

Who is advertising on Theories of the Third Kind

The roster runs broad: e-commerce tooling, telehealth, home services, learning apps, and insurance all show up. Recognizable names include Shopify, AllTrails, Indeed, Babbel, and State Farm.

The anchor advertisers, broken down

Shopify

Shopify sells e-commerce software and storefront tools for merchants of every size. Spotsnow data shows roughly 7 to 8 ads here, an estimated total spend over $30K, all classified host-read direct response. It fits because the hosts run their own merch storefront on Shopify, so the endorsement is literally true and the audience of would-be creators and side-hustlers is exactly who the platform wants.

Rula

Rula runs a nationwide network of therapists that takes insurance. Spotsnow data shows an estimated total spend over $10K, all host-read direct response. Mental-health services convert well on a male-skewing audience that trusts the hosts and rarely gets sold therapy in a voice it already listens to.

Supercast

Supercast is a podcast subscription platform that helps creators charge for premium episodes. Spotsnow data shows an estimated total spend over $10K, all host-read direct response. It's a near-perfect fit: the hosts already run a Patreon and premium tier, so pitching a monetization tool to a podcast-native audience lands without a stretch.

Chumba Casino, the outlier

Not every buy here is a coded read. Chumba Casino runs as produced spots aimed at awareness rather than a trackable code, which shows a branding objective can still find its audience on the feed alongside the direct-response core.

All spend figures are Spotsnow estimates.

Why information technology and services brands cluster here

Look at the anchors and a pattern shows up: Shopify, Supercast, Rula. Every one of them sells a product a creator or a self-starter buys online, right now, off a code. The audience skews male, sits in the young-to-mid adult range, is mostly US-based, and leans middle income with a high-income tier on top. That's a group that starts side businesses, subscribes to premium feeds, and acts on a URL they hear in a show they trust. The hosts' own IT background and their transparency about running the operation on these same tools makes the pitch feel like advice from a peer rather than an ad. That is the mechanism a DTC or SaaS brand is buying: authority plus a mindset that's already primed to convert.

How your ad could sound

What works: the hosts anchor it in their own operation, "This podcast, Theories of the Third Kind, we use Shopify for our website and merchandise storefront." That's real proof, not a script. The offer is clean and repeated at the close, "start your free trial today at shopify.com slash theories. That's shopify.com slash theories," and the vanity URL gives Shopify a clean attribution path.

What to sharpen: the read wanders in the middle with an aside, "which I don't think any of them are up right now," which softens the endorsement mid-pitch. And the code is spoken but never framed as a deal or tied to any urgency. If you're briefing a host on this show, protect the personal hook and the repeated URL, then hand over a time-bound reason to act now so the code does more than route the click.

View what a great sample ad looks like here.

What makes a show like this convert

1. The format holds attention. Long narrative case files keep listeners through the break, so a host-read lands in the middle of an audience that's still paying attention.
2. Host credibility carries the code. A 4.6-star rating over thousands of reviews means the endorsement is trusted, which is why coded reads work here.
3. The audience is primed to act. A male-skewing, mostly US, side-hustle-minded listenership responds to URLs and free trials.
4. Repeat buying proves the math. Shopify's roughly 7 to 8 host-read appearances tell you the numbers work, because brands don't re-book a feed that doesn't return.

Theories of the Third Kind in a nutshell

The audience is a male-skewing, mostly US crowd of young-to-mid adults who come for conspiracy, paranormal, and true-crime deep dives and stick around for the hosts. Shopify, Rula, and Supercast already buy here, and they all buy the same way: host-read reads pointed at a code or a URL. The show is sold direct by the hosts and quoted per campaign, not off a rate card. If your objective is measurable direct response, this feed fits; if you only want broad brand awareness, it can still work but it's not the core of what runs here.