Who doesn’t like a good list at the end of the year? One of the items I always look forward to is how networks curate their top ten (insert category here) lists near the end of the calendar year. Every content company does it from Apple to YouTube. A personal favorite is Spotify’s annual user-generated report. Showing what I listened to most over the past 365 days.
On Wednesday, Apple Podcasts released its Top Charts of 2025, listing the best of the best in podcasting. Apple said the comprehensive year-end charts—albeit released in mid-November—highlight shows and creators that captivated listeners worldwide.
While lists across platforms are open to debate. Apple is the gold standard. CNN Business calls Apple’s influence in podcasting “outsized.” Yet one aspect of the rankings stood out: no sports-focused podcasts made any of the top charts.
Consumers are always searching for content on their terms—on their schedule, on the platform they choose. Exclusivity rarely works in the podcast space. Creators chasing it are usually disappointed.
Live vs On-Demand Dichotomy
When it comes to live television, sports reign supreme. Last week, nine of the top ten U.S. shows across broadcast, cable, syndication, and live streaming were sports broadcasts. That’s not a trend; it’s a fact.
Yet that hunger of the masses for sports content doesn’t translate to the podcast space like it does in the traditional television model. It’s interesting, yet confusing.
Sports podcasts rank among the top five most popular genres of podcasts, with an estimated 186 million Americans who listen to them. Podcasts that have celebrity, are all-inclusive, and connect fans with personalities with content that relates to their fandom. A safe space with no time constraints where opinions are more formal and conversational.
Time Magazine released its ‘100 Best Podcasts of All Time’ list earlier this year, with six sports podcasts making the list. As Netflix aims to claim a slice of the podcast pie, it made a partnership with The Ringer, bringing nine of the brand’s best over to the video streaming platform in early 2026.
Sports podcasts drive audience, gaining more revenue with new stars being created every day.
But no sports on Apple’s Top Charts of 2025?
The Bill Simmons Podcast not as popular with podcast listeners as Dateline NBC?
Pardon My Take taking a back seat to Huberman Lab?
The Dan Le Batard Show playing second fiddle to This American Life?
Is sports content truly not as popular as we think it is for the on-demand audience? Not one sports-focused show was featured in the top ten for 2025. Every category including ‘Top New Show,’ ‘Top Shows,’ ‘Most Shared Shows,’ or ‘Most Shared Episodes.’
The lone survivor was Taylor Swift’s appearance on the New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce podcast, which ranked as the third-best episode of 2025, according to Apple’s rankings. We all know why that happened. Over 24 million views on YouTube alone since it’s debut three months ago, yet since then not a single video of New Heights cracked over a million views since. Most are averaging under 300,000 views.
A Need For Change?
It highlights an interesting paradox. Consumers love live sports and appointment viewing, but content about the games’ outcomes often falls short. Did I ever think a podcast discussing how our brain connects with other organs in our body would be more popular with the consumer than interviews with the biggest names in sports?
No. But it underscores a reality about how sports podcasts are packaged.
Sports podcasts often deliver nothing more unique than sports radio has for decades: results, commentary, and the occasional interview. This format, once revolutionary, has been adapted for on-demand consumption. Longform, commercial-free, easily downloadable. The model is now one of the fastest-growing revenue streams for traditional broadcasters, though many were late to the party.
When you look at the top ten shows, many of them involve information and learning. True crime, in-depth Hollywood interviews, or evergreen content dominate charts because consumers can enjoy it anytime, not just when it’s timely. Sports podcasts, in contrast, often discuss results, box scores, and timely interviews, leaving little evergreen appeal.
That common characteristic may be why sports podcasts do not crack the top ten in these rankings. It’s not a knock on the content that creators push out, but sports podcasts discuss results and tie in an interview or two. That’s not unique, or even close, to evergreen content.
Sports podcasts rarely tell narratives. They lean on current events and celebrity interviews, offering entertainment value that doesn’t match the mass on-demand appetite for evergreen content. Passion and niche audiences are not enough to break into Apple’s top charts consistently.
A Reality Check
What can sports podcast creators do then? Just accept the rankings for what they are? What’s the takeaway?
A smart creator is always on the search for how to improve the product. The challenges are there in an oversaturated marketplace, with very few podcasts able to break through to success. It’s a cheap model to talk to an audience as a form of entertainment, with no promise of any growth as algorithms continue to dominate our content search.
Sports podcasts aren’t flopping—far from it—but the Apple charts are a reality check. The audience for on-demand sports just isn’t as massive or consistent as it is for live games. People tune in for the action, but once it’s over, they move on.
Sports podcasts are left fighting for attention in a crowded space. With little evergreen appeal and even less viral traction. Passion will get you an audience, yes, but it won’t guarantee top-of-the-charts popularity.
Maybe that’s the lesson the industry has been ignoring: sports podcasting may not be the juggernaut we’ve been imagining—at least, not yet. For those willing to take risks and rethink the approach, the opportunity is still there.
The challenge is cracking the Apple.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
