I wouldn't at all be surprised if PRX releases a Radiotopia app. (They already have one for the Apple TV, in fact.) Any podcast network that has more than, say, a dozen shows, and some data to support the notion they have listeners who subscribe to multiple shows on their network, might be very inclined to at least try an app. It doesn't have to be the only way to listen to their popular podcasts, but it might offer exclusive content. And maybe it'll be the only way to listen to older episodes, or to listen with fewer (or even no) ads.
I don't think this is a good idea in the long run, but I could certainly see it happening in the not-too-distant future. I think we're already moving toward a future where we get the unbundled cable service we thought we wanted in the form of a dozen separate streaming video apps, and I don't doubt that streaming music services are going to push for ever-greater numbers of exclusive premieres, back catalogs and even original content. The question isn't whether producers will try this with podcasts, the question is how many producers will try it--and how successful it will be.
I don't think this is a good idea in the long run, but I could certainly see it happening in the not-too-distant future. I think we're already moving toward a future where we get the unbundled cable service we thought we wanted in the form of a dozen separate streaming video apps, and I don't doubt that streaming music services are going to push for ever-greater numbers of exclusive premieres, back catalogs and even original content. The question isn't whether producers will try this with podcasts, the question is how many producers will try it--and how successful it will be.