The logo in the frame: Who profited from the podcast with Benjamin Netanyahu
Avi Shushan's podcast episode with the Prime Minister recorded over 4 million social media impressions, providing massive exposure for the sponsor, the real estate company Donitz Elad. Studio owner Ido Minkovsky notes that while Shushan does not pay for the studio, the project generates significant indirect revenue for him.
Regardless of one's opinion on the podcast episode in which Avi Shushan hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the numbers are hard to argue with: over 70,000 views on YouTube within 4 days and 4 million impressions on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok — and that is just on Shushan's own digital assets. Furthermore, the 1-hour and 45-minute episode was broadcast in its entirety on Channel 14, with segments featured on "Meet the Press" and "Ofira and Ohana Seri" on Channel 12, as well as on Channels 11 and 13.
The episode was part of Shushan's podcast "Everything is Open," sponsored primarily by the real estate company Donitz Elad, which signed a year-and-a-half contract with him. Shushan reads the opening sponsorship himself, a tactic studies show increases audience engagement. The company's name remains visible in the background throughout the episode, concluding with a one-minute real estate segment.
The recording took place at "Minkovsky Records," owned by PR and digital advertising group owner Ido Minkovsky. Signs with the name MINKOVSKY were visible throughout most of the episode. The broad discourse surrounding the content brought significant benefits to all parties, but what is the economic value of this success?
"The most I've ever earned"
Shushan began the podcast after being fired from his role as spokesperson for Ichilov Hospital. Initial attempts on the "Maariv" platform were unsuccessful, leading him to seek full independence: "I understood that to succeed, I needed to control every detail. I learned the technical side and decided that all rights to the product would be mine."
"I wanted to create a talk show of national scale, to be the subject of conversation in living rooms across the country without being identified with something niche. I set a goal to earn from it," Shushan shares. By rejecting fixed-salary job offers, he chose to diversify his income. He notes that while "Maariv" paid him 10,000 shekels a month, his first independent sponsor paid double that.
Regarding the Netanyahu episode, he says: "An advertising agency owner calculated that the exposure is worth 15 million shekels to Donitz Elad." Shushan emphasizes that he is selective with advertisers to ensure long-term brand value. Today, his podcast earnings are the highest he has ever achieved.
"I am the force multiplier"
The partnership with Minkovsky began after an interview. "He suggested I record at his place, providing the studio, recording, and graphic services. It's his most profitable sponsorship ever," Shushan notes, saving him 20,000 shekels a month. Minkovsky confirms the benefit: "Shushan doesn't pay because it's profitable to work with him. He sits on a massive social media audience."
Minkovsky's studios, established in 2024 with a 2-million-shekel investment, have become a hub for major corporations. "With Avi, I have a partnership agreement: he is the product, and I am the force multiplier. I handle the hardware, and he handles the content and distribution. I earn money not directly from the podcast, but from those who come after him. After the podcast with Bibi, I've secured the next two years."
