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Podcasting in 2025 feels like old media dressed in new clothes. The format that once promised indie rebellion now reads like the mainstream’s favorite hobby.
Edison Research's list of the top-ranked podcast in the third quarter of 2025 shows that stability rules the charts. A handful of household names dominate every quarter so far, hinting that personality and consistency might still outweigh novelty.
But beneath the sameness, something’s shifting. YouTube cross-posting is inflating reach. True crime is getting theatrical. And sports talk, thanks to a certain pair of football-playing brothers, has become pop culture.
These 10 podcasts aren’t just the most listened to — they’re the pulse of what audiences still can’t stop streaming, rewinding, and quoting.
1 / 10
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Spotify $SPOT’s top show remains No. 1 across all three quarters of 2025, per Edison Research. With episodes that run longer than most documentaries, Rogan’s empire has become part talk show, part digital sociology experiment. Its longevity reflects not only audience loyalty but also the irresistible pull of unpredictable conversations.
2 / 10
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Ashley Flowers’ "Crime Junkie" holds its No. 2 spot into Q3. The show’s minimalist storytelling, with no fake dramatizations, and no sound-design tricks, still hooks millions. It’s the audio equivalent of a cold case file: methodical, addictive, and eerily calm.
3 / 10
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The New York Times’ daily brief keeps its hold on the No. 3 spot. In an era of algorithmic headlines, "The Daily" still feels human, with an editor’s voice in your ear telling you what actually matters. The fact that it hasn’t budged in ranking says people crave simplicity, not just speed.
4 / 10
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Alex Cooper’s "Call Her Daddy" stays in the top five through Q3. Once shock-comedy, now celebrity therapy hour, it’s a masterclass in pivoting without losing edge. Cooper’s guests, such as Demi Lovato, and Hailey Bieber, aren’t just interviews — they’re confessions made for TikTok recaps.
5 / 10
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Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett’s podcast climbed into the top five in Q3 2025. What started as three friends talking has turned into a high-production hybrid of comedy and A-list networking. The secret isn’t the guests — it’s the chemistry that feels too polished to be spontaneous, yet somehow still is.
6 / 10
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Theo Von’s southern-fried introspection keeps this show in the top ten all year. It’s equal parts therapy session and stand-up act, heavy on detours and sincerity. Von’s appeal doesn’t seem to be precision, but rather vulnerability wrapped in absurdity.
7 / 10
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Dateline’s jump to podcasting continues to pay off, ranking consistently in the top ten through Q3. The show thrives on recycled TV reporting, proving that old-school storytelling, complete with ominous piano stings, still works.
8 / 10
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The Kelce brothers’ podcast cracked the top ten by Q3 2025. Football talk is the pretext, but it’s really a variety show about fame, family, and the Taylor Swift effect. The audience growth proves that charisma, and a bit of cultural spillover, beat traditional sports radio.
9 / 10
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Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant’s encyclopedia-with-jokes remains a fixture, holding strong in Q3. At this point, it’s less a podcast than a cultural comfort object, being predictable in format, but unpredictable in topic, and entirely bingeable.
10 / 10
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Morbid surged into the top ten for the first time this year. Hosted by an autopsy technician and a hairdresser, it’s the rare podcast that’s equal parts forensic and funny. Its rise shows how the genre keeps mutating, from creepy to irreverent, and totally Gen Z-coded.
