Since 2022, I’ve been publishing annual “state of the business” posts detailing how Frequent Miler has been doing in terms of blog readers, podcast listeners, revenue, etc. Now, once again, here’s your chance to peek behind the curtain…
It’s not about the stats for me
Before we get to the part where I show statistics measuring how the Frequent Miler business is doing, I want to explain that I don’t actually use these stats to drive the business. Instead, my goal is to be proud of Frequent Miler. And I am! But there are always things we can do to improve the blog, the podcast, our YouTube channel, our newsletters, our Facebook group, etc. As long as we continue to deliver great content, improve, and keep having fun while doing it, I consider Frequent Miler successful. Growing revenue is nice, and increasing our audience is nice, but neither one defines success in my book.
Overview
This year, our audience has grown at a very healthy clip. Podcast downloads are up 15%, blog page views are up 21%, and YouTube views are up 46%!
This year’s revenue was down 5% compared to last year. That doesn’t sound good, but our profits remain high. The business is earning more than enough to pay good wages to the entire team and to save money for a rainy day. And we love what we do. I’m very happy with that combination!
The Team
I consider everyone on the team to be equally part of what “Frequent Miler” is. I love this team. We’re all committed to making Frequent Miler great, and we have lots of fun. This is my #1 measure of success. There’s very little in life better than working towards a common goal with a team where everyone performs at the highest level and likes and respects everyone else. We’ve got that!
In 2025, Nick, Tim, Carrie, and I were full-time while Stephen worked half-time. In 2026, I’m delighted to report that Stephen will increase his time with Frequent Miler to 30 hours per week. Soon you’ll be seeing even more of Stephen on the blog than before!
Audience Stats
We don’t do any advertising to try to increase our audience. Instead, we just keep publishing informative and (hopefully) entertaining content. This year, our blog, podcast, and video audiences grew considerably.
Blog Pageviews
From 2015 to 2021, our blog readership had hovered around 7 to 8 million pageviews per year. That was great, but in 2023, we saw nearly double that number with over 15.5 million page views. In 2024, our page views dipped a bit, but healthy growth has resumed. To date, we’ve seen slightly over 19 million page views in 2025. That’s a 21% increase over 2024.
Podcast downloads
Podcast downloads grew 15% compared to last year. That’s not as extreme as the growth we saw in 2024, but it’s still excellent!
YouTube
YouTube growth has been terrific. We had over 1 million views in 2025. That represents 46% growth over last year!
Finances
Revenue was down 5% compared to 2025, but it’s still strong, and profits remain high. Credit card revenue varies considerably from month to month due to factors outside of our control. A great new card offer can double or triple monthly revenue while it’s available, but only if it’s available to us through our affiliate network (which is not always the case). A deep dive into 2025 vs. 2024 showed that the revenue dip in 2025 was due to 2024 having more profitable offers.
The vast majority of Frequent Miler’s revenue comes from our credit card affiliate links. Remarkably, we continue to do well despite showing only the links with the best welcome bonuses, even though that often means our affiliate links aren’t shown at all.
Our second most significant revenue source is ads shown on our blog and YouTube. In 2025, ad revenue accounted for about 19% of our total revenue. We recently began airing ads on our audio podcast, but we haven’t yet earned any revenue from them. Podcast ads will contribute to 2026 revenue.
The third source of revenue, shown as “other” above, is from miscellaneous affiliate links on our site. This includes links to Amazon.com products, award search tools, and more. While this still represents only a tiny portion of our revenue, this category has grown tremendously since last year.
Thank You!
We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without you. Thank you for reading, listening, and watching. Thank you for recommending Frequent Miler to family and friends. Thank you for your comments, emails, and Facebook group posts. Without you, we would not have reached this level of success. We appreciate your continued engagement and thank you for being part of our journey!
Previous “state of the business” posts:
- 2022 State of the Business Report
- 2023 State of the Business Report
- 2024 State of the Business Report
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When my family hears about credit card changes they ask, “what does FM think about the changes”? We have come to rely on the very valuable information not only with credit cards, but also all the other topics covered. Also love the challenges and the humor interlaced in the posts. Congrats on a successful year!
Honestly the only travel blog I even bother reading and following. Only one that gets instant email access for me.
Growing blog page views in 2025, a year when many other blogs have seen significant dips due to changing google algorithms and the impact of AI is actually an incredible accomplishment. Thanks to all your insights and fun reads!
First site I go to, everyday. Kudos to being an honest bunch…
You all are head and shoulders above the sites. Your insights and integrity really shine. I especially love the competitions you run, and all the tips you furnish along the way. The camaraderie of the team is palpable as well as your love and concern for us, your readers and listeners.
I admire that you value the team having fun over the profits. And yet your profits enable everyone to make a good living while they do what they love. Outstanding.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!!
Well done!
It’s damn near impossible not to love this site. Kudos to the team.
A huge thank you to my most favorite blog. The absolute best analysis in the business!
You guys are the best in the biz. Happy to hear business is good, here’s to another great year of Frequent Miler!