New Demos+ data uncovers correlations between top podcast genres and consumers’ favorite retailer types

News (+7%) and Sports (+9%) programming surge amid seasonal shifts

Triton Digital®, the global technology and services provider to the digital audio, podcast, and broadcast radio industries, released today its Q3 2025 U.S. Podcast Ranker, the second installment in its new quarterly reporting series launched earlier this year in tandem with the company’s next generation planning tools powered by Demos+.

Triton’s Q3 data reveals how certain shopper types are more likely to be found among listeners of specific podcast genres, offering valuable intel for brands and marketers ramping up their holiday campaigns for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Beyond category-level trends, Triton’s Demos+ Top Indexing Programs provide program-level insights into these retail-intent audiences, featuring the Top 50 programs across 40+ audience segments. This granularity enables advertisers to identify variations within genres and meet their target audiences exactly where they are.

The data also spotlights strong overall growth in news and sports content, reflecting how timely storytelling, cultural moments, and personality-driven programming are capturing listener attention in new ways. Trends from the quarter signal fresh opportunities for advertisers to connect with highly engaged, context-driven listeners across genres.

“Podcasts reflect consumers’ broader lifestyles and interests, making them one of the most powerful drivers of both discovery and decision-making for brands,” said Daryl Battaglia, SVP, Measurement Products & Strategy at Triton Digital. “As brands ramp up campaigns for the holiday shopping frenzy, our data continues to help them better understand their audiences and align content with intent in a meaningful way.”

Q3 2025 Ranker Insights

From Playlists to Purchase Paths

(Based on U.S. survey responses by category — reflects the percentage of a genre’s listenership correlated to the retailer type where they shop most)

Triton’s Q3 numbers point to direct correlations between consumers’ most loved retailers and the podcasting content they consume:

• Big-Box Retailers saw the most love from consumers of true crime (87.6%), comedy (86.6%), sports (86.3%), history (85.3%), and news (84.1%) programming.
• Department Stores attracted consumers of technology (51.0%), kids & family (50.7%), education (49.8%), music (49.6%), and business (49.0%) programming the most.
• Fast Fashion shoppers were mostly drawn to kids & family (41.9%), music (36.6%), education (36.4%), technology (36.2%) and business (35.5%) shows.
• Luxury Boutiques garnered the most activity from consumers of technology (25.2%), kids & family (19.1%), business (17.7%), music (17.3%), and education (17.0%) programming.

The data also uncovered distinct listening patterns between online and in-person shoppers:

• Online shoppers were the biggest consumers of technology (54.0%), kids & family (51.5%), health & fitness (49.4%), business (49.2%), and music (49.0%) shows.
• In-Person shoppers were the biggest consumers of news (34.7%), science (34.6%), sports (33.2%), fiction (32.4%), and comedy (32.1%) programming.

For advertisers, podcasts offer not just cultural influence, but potential purchase intent, making them a powerful signal for where and how consumers spend.

Demos+ Ranker Highlights

(Based on U.S. survey responses — reflects podcasts across the entire market, not just those measured by Triton)

• Top 10 Podcasts by Unique Audience in Q3 2025:

1. The Joe Rogan Experience [Joe Rogan]
2. The Daily [The New York Times]
3. Crime Junkie [audiochuck]
4. Call Her Daddy [SiriusXM Podcasts]
5. New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce [Wondery] (up from #12 in Q2)
6. SmartLess [SiriusXM Podcasts]
7. Dateline NBC [NBC News]
8. Stuff You Should Know [iHeart Audience Network]
9. This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von [Theo Von]
10. The Breakfast Club [iHeart Audience Network]

• Top 3 Podcast Categories by Reach:

1. Comedy (41.0%)
2. News (29.1%)
3. Society & Culture (24.5%)

Download Ranker Highlights

(Based on server-side measurement from October — includes only sales networks directly measured by Triton Digital)

This month we’re pleased to welcome The Washington Post Podcast Network to our U.S. Podcast Ranker.

• Top Sales Networks by Average Weekly Downloads:
  • iHeart Audience Network
  • NPR
  • Audacy Podcast Network
• Top Podcasts by Average Weekly Downloads:
  • NPR News Now [NPR]
  • Up First from NPR [NPR]
  • The Charlie Kirk Show [Salem Podcast Network]

Trends Worth Tuning Into

News Makes Noise: Political Commentary Podcasts Surge

The news genre experienced a 7% increase in listeners this quarter (from 27.3% to 29.1%), marking a clear resurgence in audience appetite for timely commentary and political conversation.

Driving this shift:

• The Charlie Kirk Show surged 68 ranks, from #80 to #12
• The Ben Shapiro Show jumped from #42 to #13
• Candace, hosted by Candace Owens, moved up from #65 to #29
• 40 of the Top 200 Podcasts fell under the news genre

Game On: Sports Podcasts Score Big

Sports programming listeners grew 9% in Q3 (from 18.2% to 19.8%), with the start of the 2025-2026 NFL season sparking increased engagement from sports fans and culture connoisseurs alike.

Driving this shift:

• New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce broke into the Top 10, from #12 to #5
• The Bill Simmons Podcast jumped from #47 to #28
• The Dan Patrick Show surged from #116 to #87
• 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,” added Battaglia. “The insights here help marketers unlock smarter, more inclusive strategies to connect with those audiences across the full audio and video spectrum.”

See What’s Driving the Shift

The U.S. Podcast Ranker blends audience reach and behavioral data from Demos+, developed in collaboration with Signal Hill Insights, to paint the most comprehensive picture of podcast consumption available. This expanded framework reveals what listeners are tuning into, what motivates them, and how their evolving habits are shaping the broader audio economy, offering fresh insights for advertisers, agencies, and publishers to better understand podcast audiences and where the next opportunities lie.

To view the full Q3 2025 U.S. Podcast Ranker, click here.

About Triton Digital

Triton Digital® is the global technology and services leader to the digital audio, podcast, and broadcast radio industries. Operating in more than 80 countries, Triton provides innovative technology that enables broadcasters, podcasters, and online music services to build their audience, maximize revenue, and streamline their day-to-day operations. In addition, Triton powers the global online audio industry with Webcast Metrics®, the leading streaming audio measurement service and Podcast Metrics, one of the first IAB certified podcast measurement services in the industry. With unparalleled integrity, excellence, teamwork, and accountability, Triton remains committed to connecting audio, audience, and advertisers to continuously fuel the growth of the global audio industry. For more information, visit www.TritonDigital.com.

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