Edison Research Releases Top 50 U.S. Podcasts for Q2

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, July 17, 2026 | 11:48am CT

Edison Research at SSRS

Edison Research at SSRS has released its Top 50 Podcasts in the U.S. for the second quarter of 2026, with The Joe Rogan Experience, Crime Junkie, and The Daily holding onto the top three positions for a second consecutive quarter.

According to Edison Podcast Metrics, the top five podcasts remained unchanged from the first quarter. Call Her Daddy ranked fourth, followed by Smartless at No. 5. Within the Top 10, Dateline NBC climbed one spot to sixth, while New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce jumped three positions to seventh. Stuff You Should Know slipped three places to ninth, and MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories fell one spot to 10th.

Among the quarter's biggest movers, Huberman Lab climbed to No. 22, while The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett reached the Top 20 for the first time after featuring high-profile guests including JD Vance and Ivanka Trump. The Bill Simmons Podcast made one of the largest gains, rising 17 places to enter the Top 25 for the first time.

Three podcasts joined the Top 50 rankings for the first time. The Rest is History debuted after releasing a series on America's Founding Fathers tied to the nation's 250th anniversary celebration. The Why Files entered the rankings following episodes on newly released UFO documents and moon landing conspiracy theories, while The Bulwark also made its first appearance in the Top 50.

Just outside the rankings, Ologies with Alie Ward narrowly missed the cutoff, placing 55th.

The quarter's biggest decline belonged to The Megyn Kelly Show, which dropped 25 positions, falling from No. 19 in the first quarter to No. 44 in Q2.

The Edison Podcast Metrics rankings measure podcast reach among weekly podcast listeners age 13 and older in the United States.