Edison Reveals Top 50 U.S. Podcasts for Q3 2026

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, October 23, 2026 | 12:49pm CT

Edison Research at SSRS

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

The rankings, based on reach among weekly podcast consumers ages 13 and older, are compiled through Edison Podcast Metrics.

"Call Her Daddy" ranked fourth, followed by "SmartLess" in fifth. "New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce" climbed one position to sixth, while "This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von" also gained one spot to seventh.

"Dateline NBC" slipped two positions to eighth, while "Rotten Mango" posted the largest gain among the top 10, climbing four places to ninth. "The Breakfast Club" rounded out the top 10, moving up one position.

Among the quarter's notable developments, "Dumb Blonde," hosted by Bunnie Xo, entered the top 20 for the first time. The program attracted attention in August following the posting and subsequent removal of an episode discussing her divorce from country music artist Jelly Roll.

Three additional programs moved into the top 25: "The Pat McAfee Show," "Pardon My Take" and "Kill Tony." The gains came amid increased visibility for the shows, including the release of a country-rock album by McAfee, a 10th-anniversary book from the creators of "Pardon My Take" and live performances by "Kill Tony" at Madison Square Garden.

Five podcasts made their first appearances in the top 50: "StarTalk Radio," "Club 520," "The Stephen A. Smith Show/Straight Shooter," "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" and "Smosh Reads Reddit Stories."

Meanwhile, "True Crime with Kendall Rae" recorded one of the quarter's largest improvements, jumping 44 positions to No. 55, just outside the top 50.

Edison Podcast Metrics measures podcast listening behavior and ranks programs by audience reach rather than download totals, providing a view of the most widely consumed podcasts among U.S. weekly listeners.