Triton’s Q3 Ranker Shows Big Swings As News, Sports Surge.

Triton Digital’s new quarterly deep dive into podcast consumption is offering a more expansive look at who is on top, with a ranker that includes the top 200 shows for each quarter. It blends audience reach and behavioral data from Demos+, developed in collaboration with Signal Hill Insights, to paint the most comprehensive picture of podcast consumption. In the second release of the new report, Triton says “The Joe Rogan Experience” remained the most listened-to podcast during the third quarter, followed by The New York Times’ “The Daily,” Audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie” and SiriusXM’s “Call Her Daddy.” The big move in the top ten comes as Wondery’s “New Heights” with Jason and Travis Kelce jumped from No. 12 in Q2 to No. 5 in Q3.

One of the biggest leaps occurred just outside the top ten. Triton says Salem Podcast Network’s “The Charlie Kirk Show” leapt from No. 70 in Q2 to No. 12 in Q3 following his murder in September. It also appears to have lifted several other conservative series, including “The Ben Shapiro Show,” which also had a big move, as The Daily Wire show rose 29 spots to No. 13 in Q3. “Candace,” hosted by conservative commentator Candace Owens, moved up from No. 65 to No. 29.

The news genre experienced a 7% increase in listeners this quarter (from 27.3% to 29.1%), which Triton says marks “a clear resurgence in audience appetite for timely commentary and political conversation.” It says 40 of the Top 200 podcasts fell under the news genre.

Even so, comedy easily remained the most listened-to genre, capturing a 41% share during Q3, according to Triton. It says Society & Culture ranked third, accounting for a quarter (24.5%) of podcast listening.

Sports programming listeners grew 9% in Q3 (from 18.2% to 19.8%), with the start of the NFL season sparking increased engagement. While that can most easily be seen in the rise of the “New Heights” podcast, it wasn’t alone. Triton says other shows logged gains, including “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” which jumped from No. 47 in Q2 to No. 28 in Q3, and “The Dan Patrick Show,” which went from No. 116 to No. 87. Overall, Triton says 24 of the top 200 podcasts fell under the sports genre.

“This quarter’s podcasting data proves that the medium is maturing in ways that mirror other forms of premium content, with cross-platform loyalty, higher purchase intent, and new audience growth among younger and more diverse listeners,” Triton Senior VP Daryl Battaglia said. “The insights here help marketers unlock smarter, more inclusive strategies to connect with those audiences across the full audio and video spectrum.”

The Triton alliance with Signal Hill Insights also allows for the creation of a new quarterly ranking of the most listened to podcasts. Using survey data, it features the top 200 shows based on how many people report listening or watching a show in the past 30 days.

Triton says that approach delivers the largest available full-market view of true listener reach. By listing 200 shows, the largest ranker of its kind currently released, it also better reflects the diversity of content and audiences in podcasting. By leveraging a survey methodology, it allows Triton to publish a ranker of all shows regardless of whether their publishers have opted in.

While the top 200 is based on survey data, Triton’s download ranker is based exclusively on server-side measurement from the sales networks it directly measures. Triton says the iHeart Audience Network had the most downloads among those it tracks during October, followed by NPR and the Audacy Podcast Network. Using the same methodology, it says “NPR News Now” was the most downloaded show in October, followed by “Up First from NPR” and “The Charlie Kirk Show.”

Triton also notes that the Washington Post Podcast Network also joined its U.S. podcast ranking measurement last month.

Read Triton Digital’s full Q3 2025 U.S. Podcast Ranker HERE.