July’s Podtrac rankings kept the top six U.S. podcasts exactly where they were in June. Meanwhile, Dan Bongino, NPR, and Fox News remained prominent as several shows shifted below the leaders.
What We Know: Crime Junkie again led Podtrac’s U.S. Unique Monthly Audience rankings in July. The Daily followed, with NPR News Now, Up First From NPR, Dateline NBC, and Fox News Hourly Update rounding out the top six. All six held their previous positions. Pardon My Take made the first move, climbing into seventh and pushing Pod Save America to eighth. The Ben Shapiro Show held ninth, while The Shawn Ryan Show jumped three spots to 12th.
What the Numbers Show: The Dan Bongino Show stayed at number 14, while The Ezra Klein Show made the month’s biggest move among the listed programs. It climbed six spots to number 17. Today, Explained remained at 18th. Morning Wire slipped one position to 20th. The publisher rankings also showed little movement at the top. iHeartAudience Network remained #1 among Podtrac’s Top Multi-Channel Podcast Publishers and Networks. Meidas Media Network ranked second, followed by NPR, Libsyn, and Sonoro Global Media.
What Remains Unclear: Podtrac’s rankings show audience position, but they don’t explain why individual podcasts gained or lost ground. The July list also doesn’t establish whether recent programming changes drove the shifts.
What It Means: Stability defined the top of the July rankings, with the biggest changes coming deeper in the list. Still, Pardon My Take’s move ahead of Pod Save America highlights the competitive nature of the upper tier. The Ezra Klein Show’s six-position jump also stands out. However, the broader rankings suggest established publishers and major podcast brands continue to control much of the audience landscape.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.