At the 2025 Met Gala, Audio Is on the Best Dressed List

Every spring, the white tents are assembled, art and entertainment's elite touch down in NYC, and the red carpet is rolled out for the Met Gala—AKA fashion’s most-watched night. Waiting for each year’s theme to be released is highly-anticipated in and of itself, and this year’s didn’t disappoint: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” an ode to the importance of style in forming Black identities. It was only fitting that the A-list lineup of co-chairs and hosts included top Black artists like Doechii, Tyla, and Pharrell Williams.

Attention on the Met Gala continues to climb each year, just like guests climbing the floral-accented steps of the Met Museum— with video views climbing 109% year over year. But while viewers have come to associate the night with the best and worst dressed and exclusive invite list, we’re focused on the pivotal role digital audio plays throughout the event. At the “Oscars of fashion,” audio is the one constant, from the interviews to Stevie Wonder’s performance. With the event generating billions of views and immense social traffic, the Met Gala is a prime moment brands can capitalize on to reach pop-culture-obsessed fans. 

Whether fans’ favorite moments are seeing top artists’ extravagant looks or interviews, SiriusXM Media is the place to be for pre-event, mood-setting streaming audio and post-event discussions. 

Pop Culture Fans Are Hungry for More Content—and They Fill Their Plate with Audio 

From music to podcasts, our content library is as star-studded as the Met Gala’s red carpet. Our podcast hosts have previously attended the event, from Andy Cohen, to Yara Shahidi, to Kelly Ripa. Meanwhile, the hosts from Vibe Check gave a post-event recap of this year’s glitzy night on their pop-culture-themed show.

And after this year’s event, listeners are already flocking to Pandora and SoundCloud to listen to the music industry’s biggest names and emerging talent who arrived as attendees or hosts—from Doja Cat to Cardi B. With this year’s theme in mind, brands can find the most tuned-in listeners on VIP Rap or Hip Hop Forever.  

The Met Gala is just one of the many times listeners have gravitated towards our streaming and podcast networks after major awards shows and A-list events. After this year’s Grammys, we saw a 10x increase in station adds for Beyoncé and a 400% increase in station adds for Doechii. And following this year’s Oscars, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend saw a +284% surge in podcast downloads. As the calendars change, listeners continuously come to SiriusXM Media for their pop culture fix. 

All Eyes (and Ears) on Black Culture 

The 2025 Met Gala theme couldn’t have come at a better moment, what with multicultural marketing coming under a heavy microscope. But events like this prove that brands who want to tap into the biggest cultural moments need to engage diverse audiences.

This year alone, there have been countless cultural milestones, from Beyoncé becoming the first Black woman to win Best Country Album in Grammys history to Kendrick Lamar earning his spot in history as the first solo rapper to headline the Big Game’s halftime show. Despite the fact that some brands are deprioritizing multicultural marketing in the wake of anti-DEI legislation, diverse artists and creators are shining brighter than ever. 

Future-proofing your business isn’t complete without investing in diverse consumers—and leaning into their love of audio. The 2025 event marked the debut appearance of hip-hop’s Doechii and Shaboozey, K-Pop’s Lisa and S.Coups, and Punjabi’s Diljit Dosanjh. By aligning with the artists fans love and choosing cultural ads over general market ads, brands can drive more positive brand associations and favorability. 

Reaching Gen Z Means Investing in Multicultural Marketing 

If your target audience is young, keep in mind that reaching diverse consumers and young audiences go hand in hand, as 48% of Gen Z identify as Latino, Black, AAPI, or mixed race. Young consumers are diverse, diverse consumers are young, and what they all have in common is their love for audio and desire to be represented in advertising. 

An Entertainment Advertiser Gets Its Close-Up

What happens when an entertainment advertiser partners with the SiriusXM Streaming Network? Significant results. We previously partnered with an entertainment brand to drive ad recall and brand preference and generate brand favorability. Using a mix of products like Streaming Select, mobile video, and sponsored stations, we targeted females, Gen Zers, and diverse audiences. 

The results were worthy of the best dressed list:

• Best dressed: +16 pts lift in ad recall among Black audiences

• Honorable mention: +8 pts lift in brand preference among females 

Make Your Brand First on the VIP Guest List

While the Met Gala might be over this year, the buzz is just beginning on digital audio. And just as there’s always another pop culture event around the corner, we have the platforms and content to capture fans’ eyes and ears. 

Let’s chat. 

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