According to a new study, men dominate NBA podcasting, hosting 94% of all shows. Yet the listeners tuning in are far more diverse than the voices they hear.
What We Know: A new Million Podcasts Research study examined 2,200-plus active English-language NBA podcasts in 2026. Moreover, the findings reveal a top-heavy ecosystem where just ten shows capture roughly 23% of all listener attention. Network-backed podcasts reach seven times more listeners than independent shows at the median. Notably, podcast consumption surged during the 2026 NBA playoffs, amplifying the reach gap between networked and independent shows even further.
What The Data Shows: (via Million Podcasts Research Findings)
Top Ten Most-Listened To NBA Podcasts In The Active Universe
| Show | Modeled Monthly Listeners (Per Million Podcasts) |
|---|---|
| The Bill Simmons Podcast | 352,000 |
| The Stream Room | 117,000 |
| The Mismatch | 104,000 |
| Mostly Hoops w/ Mark Titus | 84,000 |
| Brian Windhorst & Hoop Collective | 78,000 |
| Rights To Ricky Sanchez | 72,000 |
| The Old Man and the Three | 68,000 |
| Inside the Green Room w/ Danny Green | 65,000 |
| Open Floor: SI’s NBA Show | 56,000 |
| Buckets with Amir Blumenfeld | 55,000 |
Share Of Total Podcast Reach By Tier (By Rank)
| Rank | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Top 10 Overall (See Above) | 23% |
| Top 5% | 59% |
| Top 1% | 32% |
| Bottom 50% | 2% |
What Remains Unclear: With the rise in NBA podcast consumption, does that lead to more players in the vertical. Also, the data does not share if it’s video and audio consumption or just audio consumption.
What It Means: It comes at no surprise that NBA podcasts are dominantly hosted by men. But it was striking to see the small amount of shows on YouTube. In addition, that suggests that YouTube represents the biggest untapped opportunity in NBA audio. Fewer than one in ten active podcasts maintain a YouTube channel, yet those that do reach nine times more listeners than audio-only peers.
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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.
