Conservative Podcasts See Significant Audience Growth

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, August 19, 2026 | 11:14am CT

Edison Research at SSRS

The Megyn Kelly Show and The Shawn Ryan Show have more than doubled their weekly U.S. podcast audiences since late 2024, according to new data from Edison Research examining shifts among leading conservative podcasts ahead of the 2026 election cycle.

Edison Podcast Metrics compared weekly audiences among U.S. consumers age 13 and older from the fourth quarter of 2024 with the second quarter of 2026. The analysis focused on conservative podcasts that had the largest weekly audiences in late 2024.

The Megyn Kelly Show posted the strongest growth among the measured programs, increasing its weekly audience by 115%. The Shawn Ryan Show followed closely with a 107% gain.

Several other conservative programs recorded more modest increases. The Tucker Carlson Show grew 13%, The Glenn Beck Program increased 11% and The Sean Hannity Show gained 5%.

Edison noted that comparable fourth-quarter 2024 data is not available for Candace Owens' newer program "Candace," although the company's latest measurements have documented significant audience growth since its launch.

Other prominent conservative podcasts have lost audience since the 2024 election cycle.

The Dan Bongino Show recorded the largest decline, falling 62%. Edison said the decrease can be partly attributed to Bongino's break from podcasting while serving as Deputy Director of the FBI.

The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast declined 44%, while The Ben Shapiro Show dropped 19% and The Mark Levin Podcast decreased 16%.

The Matt Walsh Show was the only program in the group to remain unchanged, posting no percentage difference in weekly audience between the two measurement periods.

The findings come as candidates and political commentators begin ramping up media appearances ahead of the 2026 elections. Edison has previously tracked the role podcasts played in connecting voters with candidates during the 2024 presidential campaign and the 2025 elections in New York and New Jersey.