Spotify podcasts don't have RSS feeds either. And have massively expanded their podcast program over the past few years, such that they know serve more podcast listeners than Apple.
But this is the play several big players are involved in make to try to convert podcasts into walled gardens.
The OP is really sniping around the edges of a major thing that's going on, which Apple is actually playing catch-up on.
https://mattstoller.substack.com/p/will-spotify-ruin-podcast...
https://fair.org/home/the-new-podcast-oligopoly/
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/feb/23/techscape...