Triton Digital has announced the release of a new Top 200 Podcast Ranker, with some usual names at the top of the rankings.
The updated ranker is utilizing new audience intelligence features like the top 200 podcasts among podcast listeners in the 18+ demographic, top podcasts for reaching high-value audience segments like socioeconomics, behaviors, and purchase intent, and podcast genre audience profiles to come to the conclusion.
The new ranker will be updated quarterly. Triton Digital will continue to maintain its existing monthly download ranker, in addition to the new podcast rankings.
Triton says its new Demos+ rankings are a valuable tool for advertisers and a way to expand past the top 50 podcasts, which only reach 49% of all podcast listeners.
“We built Demos+ to surface the types of insights advertisers need, but haven’t had consistent access to in audio,” said Triton Digital Senior Vice President of Measurement Products and Strategy Daryl Battaglia. “It’s about who listeners are, what motivates them, and why they tune in. That level of context drives better decisions, smarter investments, and more inclusive planning across the board.”
Based on the new rankings, the Top 10 Podcasts by Unique Audience in the second quarter were:
The Joe Rogan Experience [Joe Rogan]
The Daily [The New York Times]
Crime Junkie [audiochuck]
Call Her Daddy [SiriusXM Podcasts]
SmartLess [SiriusXM Podcasts]
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von [Theo Von]
Dateline NBC [NBC News]
Stuff You Should Know [iHeart Audience Network]
This American Life [NPR]
The Breakfast Club [iHeart Audience Network]
Additionally, the Top 3 Podcast Categories by Reach included:
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Podcast organizations Podcast Movement and Sounds Profitable have announced plans to merge.
Sounds Profitable was founded in 2020 and works with more than 200 audio and podcasting companies. It is being acquired by Podcast Movement, which hosts conferences centered on the podcast industry. The company’s latest conference began on Monday in Dallas.
As part of the new deal, Sounds Profitable partners Bryan Barletta and Tom Webster will remain shareholders and will also operate independently. Barletta will serve as the President of Podcast Movement, while co-founder Dan Franks will remain as the President of Event Movement, the separate production company behind the events.
“All I have wanted to do for the last 20 years is whatever I could to make podcasting a legitimate industry, a space where people could make a living and even a career,” Webster said in a post on social media. “I want podcasting to thrive, I want you to thrive, and I want to hear your show! Thanks to Dan and Bryan and our combined strengths, I still get to do that.”
“Podcasting is entering its next phase. The industry needs trusted research, clear goals with action, and well-run events that connect the right people,” Franks said. “Sounds Profitable will keep pushing with data and education. Podcast Movement will keep building the rooms and programs where work gets done. Together, we can move faster and support more creators, publishers, and partners.”
Podcast Movement was launched in 2014, which it notes preceded the heavy investments into the space by platforms like Spotify, iHeartMedia, Amazon, and Wondery, among others.
“We were there when it was just a bunch of podcasters in their closets,” Franks told Axios. “Some of them ended up doing well and then they were no longer podcasters in their closets.”
Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, outside of language that shares it was a seven-figure deal.
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Jenny Matthews and Mike “Jagger” Thomas will join forces to create “Jenny And Jagger In The Morning” at Audacy’s 106.5 The Wolf in Kansas City.
The duo replaces Codie Allen and Zeke Montana, who were let go last week. (BMM 8/14). Afternoon host Jeff “Shotgun” Jaxson exited at the same time.
Matthews, the former Country Q104 Kansas City morning co-host, announced the news on Facebook, writing, “Radio has changed so much over the years. There are more cuts than hires these days. So, I had no clue if I’d ever even get back on the air. I thought about a podcast. I thought about a lot of things! I had a lot of meetings and coffees. But radio is my passion. Big. Radio. Nerd.”
Thomas joins from Audacy’s sister Hot AC 99.7 The Point.
The new show is set to launch on September 9.
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NFL on FOX analyst Greg Olsen has quickly earned a reputation as one of the sharpest voices in football television. While his playing career as a Pro Bowl tight end gave him instant credibility, Olsen says the real edge in his work comes from the unique access broadcasters get when preparing for a game.
Speaking with John Middlekauff on the 3 and Out podcast, Olsen explained that the most fascinating part of his week comes during conversations with coaches, general managers, and front-office executives. Those meetings, he said, offer an unfiltered look at how teams are built and why some organizations consistently find success while others fall short.
“The coolest part of the process is the insight into how a lot of these teams work organizationally, both through structure, through communication, through processes, through what they have in place of how they evaluate talent and how they roster construct and how they do the draft,” Olsen said. “When you sit down and talk to general managers and front office personnel, and they really give you a clear vision of why they’ve done certain decisions over the last two or three years to get to this point, it’s an unbelievable insight.”
Those sessions also reveal stark contrasts. Olsen admitted there are times when he walks away from a call fully understanding why a coach like Sean McVay or Kevin O’Connell racks up wins. Other times, though, the takeaway is the exact opposite.
“There’s countless times a year where I hang up off of some coach’s conference meeting and I’m like, I get why Sean McVay wins a lot. I get why Kevin O’Connell wins a lot,” he said. “Then you also get off some other calls and you’re like, they have no clue. They’re just making s**t up. And it’s amazing at the NFL level, but that’s real.”
Beyond organizational philosophies, Olsen said he uses these conversations to stay current on schematic trends. The NFL has changed dramatically since his rookie year in 2007, and he believes keeping up with evolving defensive fronts, coverage packages, and even subtle rule changes is essential for providing context to viewers.
“As a player, I didn’t have to waste my time being concerned with any of that stuff. It was above my pay grade,” Olsen said. “Now, to be able to wrap your head around the entire picture is really cool.”
Although Olsen tries not to overstep with coaches whose games he isn’t calling, he also maintains relationships throughout the league that help sharpen his analysis. He will occasionally text trusted coaches during the week to test theories or discuss concepts in broad terms. More often than not, those conversations lead to both football insight and personal connection.
“They’re genuinely interested in you, your prep. They want to know about your kids’ middle school football game,” Olsen said. “It’s really cool. They genuinely care. More often than not, that’s the experience in the league.”
For Olsen, that mix of technical detail and human connection not only informs his preparation, but also helps him deliver the kind of clarity and authenticity that has quickly made him one of FOX’s most respected voices on Sundays.
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ESPN is preparing to take its TikTok dominance in-house. The network, which has built the largest corporate TikTok account in the United States, will bring a vertical, short-form video feed to its own app later this week in conjunction with the launch of its direct-to-consumer product, according to company officials.
The yet-to-be-named feed will feature highlights, fan reactions and user-generated content, paired with a new vertical version of SportsCenter that debuts Thursday. ESPN executives believe the offering will give fans a reason to return daily, with a personalized, scrollable stream designed for mobile-first consumption.
“We want this to be a fresh feed that you can get lost in whenever you open the app,” Kaitee Daley, ESPN’s senior vice president of digital, social and streaming content, told Sportico. “Vertical, scrollable video is how so many fans get their information today.”
The strategy reflects broader shifts in how audiences engage with sports. With more Gen Z consumers spending two hours or more per day on apps like TikTok and Instagram. Short, vertical clips have become commonplace across industries. ESPN is betting that a sports-specific algorithm can earn its share of that attention.
This move also builds on a digital journey that dates back decades. The network has consistently experimented with new ways to distribute content both on digital and social. But with enhanced technology and AI tools now at its disposal, executives believe the timing is right to bring vertical video directly into its ecosystem.
ESPN’s digital team already produces more than 400 social posts daily, supplemented by AI models that create highlight libraries in real time. The company reported reaching 69% of U.S. adults in June across its digital and social platforms, generating 555 million interactions. Behind the new recommendation system is Adam Smith, ESPN’s chief product and technology officer, who spent more than two decades at YouTube and Google before joining the company in 2024.
Daley credited Smith’s expertise with recommendation algorithms as a critical differentiator. “That secret sauce, if you will… to have insight into it for the first time, as opposed to, most of my career, having been trying to figure it out—that’s an interesting dynamic, and one that we’re really excited about,” she said.
Even as ESPN invests in its app, it is not abandoning external platforms. The network recently hired creator Katie Feeney to boost Snapchat output and added five other digital influencers with a combined Instagram following of 1.9 million to its creator network.
Future iterations of the app may include AI voice models for personalized highlights and even fan-uploaded content. For now, the new “SC For You” vertical SportsCenter will be available exclusively to ESPN Unlimited and cable subscribers. Daley emphasized the rollout is just the beginning.
“We don’t look at this as: Aug. 21 is the ninth inning,” she said. “It’s the first inning. And we have a lot that we can learn from and iterate on.”
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Your Morning Show with Michael DelGiorno has been added to iHeartMedia’s NewsRadio 1450/1370 WKIP in Poughkeepsie. And that marks a milestone, as the show now has 100 affiliates.
After joining the Premiere Networks lineup in October 2024, the show has continually added affiliates around the nation, like on stations in Detroit, Nashville, Seattle, Portland, Tulsa, and Albuquerque, among others.
“I love every listener and city equally, but I’d place Poughkeepsie in the memorable class alongside Nashville (my first affiliate), Detroit (my 50th), and now Poughkeepsie (100th),” said DelGiorno. “I’ll always remember this moment! I’m thrilled to be on the Hudson River, serving this great audience, and I look forward to seeing where the river leads me in the months and years ahead.”
“Look at that — we have the honor of being No. 100!” said iHeartMedia Senior Vice President of Programming for Upstate New York Chris Marino. “Michael is fun, warm, welcoming, knowledgeable, and confident — we’re loving what we hear so far! Welcome, Michael, and thank you to everyone in the iHeart Upstate New York region for helping get this off the ground. Finally, to echo what my Executive Vice President Jeff Hurley wrote to me: we’re thrilled to have the magic of MDG in Poughkeepsie. Let’s go, MDG!”
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ESPN is stepping onto a new playing field this week with the launch of its long-anticipated direct-to-consumer platform, and Chairman Jimmy Pitaro is making it clear this debut is just the beginning. In speaking with Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, the ESPN Chairman says that following the launch of the network’s direct-to-consumer product Thursday there will be added elements along the way.
“It is the first inning,” Pitaro said to The Athletic. “I’ve been very clear, internally and externally, that this is a marathon, not a sprint. This is going to launch with significant enhancements, but not all the enhancements that we have on the roadmap. There is going to be a steady drumbeat of improvements weekly, monthly, annually.”
The platform arrives at a time when cord-cutting continues to accelerate and viewers demand more flexibility in how they consume live sports. For ESPN, Pitaro said, the shift was inevitable but the DTC product was not meant to be a replacement but an add-on.
“We thought it was the right thing to do for the sports fan because the trends were not slowing down,” he told The Athletic. “If anything, they were accelerating.”
Although the company has long been preparing for this moment eight years ago, Pitaro pointed to 2023 as the turning point when he and Disney CEO Bob Iger agreed it was time to push forward.
“It was probably 2023 where we really decided we were going to do this soon,” Pitaro said.
Still, he emphasized the strategy behind ESPN’s rollout is deliberate. Instead of racing to replicate the traditional cable experience immediately, executives embraced what Pitaro called a “crawl, walk, run” philosophy. The intention is to build momentum, gather feedback, and continually refine the service as new features roll out.
That steady pace, according to Pitaro, will be supported by ESPN’s unmatched collection of sports rights. From the NFL and NBA to college football and international soccer, the network continues to hold some of the most valuable properties in the industry.
“I think it is fair to say that we have the deepest and best rights portfolio that we have ever had at ESPN, and I believe it is the best in the industry,” Pitaro said.
For ESPN, the challenge is not just retaining its dominance on traditional television but also translating that strength into the digital era. The direct-to-consumer product is designed to serve both longtime fans and younger audiences who may never have subscribed to cable.
As the service officially gets underway, Pitaro’s message is clear: this launch marks a starting point, not a finish line. The coming weeks and months will bring new features and adjustments, but the larger vision remains focused on ensuring ESPN continues to be the premier destination for sports, regardless of how fans choose to watch.
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Nexstar Media Group has announced plans to purchase TV rival TEGNA in a deal worth more than $6 billion.
Nexstar is set to acquire all of the outstanding shares of TEGNA for $22 per share, which is a 31% premium compared to the company’s 30-day average stock price. The transaction has already been approved by the Board of Directors at TEGNA.
Once the deal is closed, Nexstar Media Group will then have 265 TV stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia. Additionally, it will feature outlets in 132 of the country’s 210 markets.
“The initiatives being pursued by the Trump administration offer local broadcasters the opportunity to expand reach, level the playing field, and compete more effectively with the Big Tech and legacy Big Media companies that have unchecked reach and vast financial resources. We believe TEGNA represents the best option for Nexstar to act on this opportunity,” said Nexstar Media Group CEO Perry Sook.
“TEGNA is a premier operator with high-quality local television stations primarily in the top 75 DMAs. We and TEGNA are similarly dedicated to providing communities of all sizes with the best programming and fact-based local journalism along with innovative digital products and marketing solutions for local viewers and advertisers,” Sook continued. “The transaction will increase Nexstar’s reach through the expansion of our presence in important DMAs such as Atlanta, Phoenix, Seattle, and Minneapolis, as well as enhance our local presence, enabling us to continue to provide the core local news and programming that is in the public’s interest.”
“We are thrilled to have found a partner in Nexstar that will enable TEGNA’s stations to continue doing what we do best: creating outstanding and impactful local content coupled with the delivery of indispensable digital products to the communities we serve around the country,” added TEGNA CEO Mike Steib. “Nexstar and TEGNA both share a rich heritage of commitment to journalistic excellence and technological advancements. Together, we will expand news coverage to serve more communities, across more screens, and ultimately secure the future of local news for generations to come.”
Nexstar says it hopes to have the transaction closed by the second half of 2026.
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One of my favorite parts of our conferences involves highlighting outstanding work and impactful contributions by industry professionals. We’ve done it for years at our sports media events, and started the tradition last year at the BNM Summit as well, introducing the Gold Standard in Leadership, Business, and Programming awards. We’re adding a fourth award this year, the News Media Lifetime Achievement award, given to an on-air professional who’s made a significant impact for a sustained period of time.
When we began thinking about this year’s choice for the Gold Standard in Leadership award, the decision was easy. I am thrilled to share that our 2025 recipient is Red Apple Media and 77WABC Owner and CEO, John Catsimatidis.
What John has done recharging 77WABC in New York City along with Chad Lopez is impressive enough. The radio station has regained its position as one of talk radio’s most important brands. It is also a consistent performer in ratings, digital metrics, and revenue. A robust local lineup is now in place including on weekends, and the station’s programming has expanded beyond New York City courtesy of syndication through Red Apple Audio Networks.
That alone is an excellent story, but John’s advocacy for keeping radio alive on the AM dial is where his leadership has really stood out.
Catsimatidis has purchased radio ads encouraging consumers to not buy a car without an AM radio. He’s taken out full-page ads in New York City newspapers, gathering support from the FDNY, NYPD, Buffalo PD, and other agencies to emphasize AM radio’s critical role in emergencies, publicly calling on Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Chuck Schumer, and Representative Hakeem Jeffries for support. He has even recruited former Vice President Mike Pence to voice commercials for the “Save AM Radio” campaign.
Getting legislation passed to preserve the AM radio band is an ongoing battle, and John Catsimatidis isn’t staying silent on the sideline. Instead, he’s putting his money where his mouth is, and using every opportunity, relationship, and platform available to try and make a difference. That’s what leadership is all about.
In addition, while radio’s financial challenges have slowed the pursuit of growth for some groups, Catsimatidis has publicly expressed desire to invest more. He purchased WRCR-AM in Rockland County in May, and has stated he’d like to buy more stations in the Northeast and potentially in Florida too.
For radio to thrive moving forward, it needs leaders who believe in it, and are willing to invest in it. John Catsimatidis is bullish on our business, and it’s my pleasure to recognize him at the 2025 BNM Summit in New York City.
Upon learning he was chosen as the 2025 recipient of the Gold Standard in Leadership award, John said, “I am honored to receive this award from Jason Barrett and Barrett Media. This award is a recognition of the accomplishments of our impressive team. Radio is a part of the fabric of Americans’ lives and we will not stop fighting to Save AM Radio until every car manufacturer includes AM and FM on the dashboard.”
The Premiere Networks awards ceremony takes place on Thursday September 4th at 11:30am at the Ailey Theater. To purchase tickets and learn more about the conference, visit BNMSummit.com.
Well, New Heights did the thing Amazon was paying it to do. The Kelce brothers delivered Taylor Swift, and Taylor delivered exactly what Amazon was betting on when the company broke off nine figures to bring the show to its Wondery brand. So now what?
Taylor Swift sitting down with her boyfriend and his brother kind of feels like Mulder and Scully finally getting together on The X-Files. Fans anticipated it forever, but when it finally happened, it became a kind of dead end. I don’t think Jason and Travis Kelce are planning to sunset the show, so what’s the follow-up? Is there one?
New Heights is in a tough position. Swift’s appearance broke records and spawned memes. It was a cultural moment, but the reality is New Heights is never going to be worth $100,000,000 to Amazon ever again.
That’s not a comment on the show’s quality (we’ll get to that later). It’s a comment on the state of podcasting and how any show finds and creates its value. Swift was the Kelces’ magic bullet. Now that it’s been fired, it’s going to be really tough to justify that giant paycheck in this environment.
We’ll Take This Way Too Far
I’m not here to tell you that America is over podcasts. Edison Research’s latest Infinite Dial survey found that the audience for the medium is at an all-time high, but the space is turning into a bloated, indistinguishable blob. Now that the industry has decided the real value is in interviews, not narrative storytelling, all of the top podcasts sound exactly the same.
Think about Donald Trump’s digital media tour before the election in November. He went on like five different shows and talked about the same things on each of them. The episodes were largely indistinguishable from one another. Which one anybody chose to listen to was largely dependent on their already established consumption patterns.
Personally, I learned a lot about New Heights thanks to Swift’s visit to the show. For instance, I did not know that the Kelces’ audience was already majority female. I also learned that the show had been on a bit of a decline before her appearance.
Combine those facts with Amazon’s decision to significantly scale back on original podcasts, and you have to acknowledge a tough reality. The struggles are real across the company and the industry, and the Kelces’ deal sticks out like a sore thumb. Even if it doesn’t come from Amazon, there will be a lot of pressure on the brothers.
You Got Tired Of My Scheming
There is power in stringing you along. The Kelces and Amazon knew that when the deal was done and their pact was formed. The idea that Taylor Swift could show up on an episode of New Heights was powerful. Any new show could be THE show.
Not only is that gone now, but trying to recreate it could be dangerous. Before Swift came on New Heights, there was anticipation. Trying to lean into the idea that she could come back might work for a little while, but it could quickly turn to frustration. It may even turn into resentment if a significant portion of the audience comes to the conclusion that she is never coming back—and that’s a very real possibility.
Think about it. Taylor Swift enjoys a level of celebrity that no pop star has since probably the height of Michael Jackson’s fame in the 1980s. When you’re that famous, you get to set the agenda and make the rules, so everyone involved with New Heights has to ask themselves, “What do we really do for Taylor Swift?”
It’s hard to watch that episode and not come to the conclusion that Swift and Travis Kelce are clearly in love. She would do anything for him, but that doesn’t mean she’ll do the same favor multiple times. At some point, the request gets old.
It’s Miserable And Magical
So there’s an elephant in the room that we have to talk about when we discuss what the potential is for New Heights. The show just isn’t that good. It’s not bad necessarily, but without the element of tuning in to see if Travis reveals some intimate detail of his life with Taylor, I am not sure what the appeal is for so many people.
New Heights lives in a weird space. My former colleague Dave Greene is a big fan. He once called it “exactly what sports fans want from a podcast.” I disagree.
So many podcasts begin with the idea that it’s just gonna be two dudes talking. An entertainer is smart enough to realize that idea needs refining before anything is recorded. The people that don’t realize that and still find success do so because they are able to grow beyond those initial limitations. I don’t think New Heights has done that.
When I have given the show a chance, I hear a wildly inconsistent product. There’s sports, but it isn’t exactly a sports show. There are laughs, but it isn’t exactly a comedy show.
Jason Kelce is an entertaining, media-savvy guy. Travis Kelce, as best I can tell, is there to say, “That’s crazy,” after every story Jason tells. That’s kinda the show in a nutshell. Any time an episode gets attention from outside its dedicated fan base, it’s because something extraordinary happened.
Not only can you not count on Taylor Swift coming back with regularity, as mentioned above, but another new season of Ted Lasso probably isn’t getting announced again anytime soon either.
None of what I have written here means it’s time for New Heights to end. None of it means I am betting against the Kelces. Podcasting isn’t “the next big thing” anymore. It’s mainstream right now, and it’s tough to stand out in the mainstream if the show doesn’t have a real differentiator.
Taylor Swift is as big of a differentiator as anyone could ever ask for on their podcast, but that is a bump that comes once and comes on her schedule. Amazon can’t go to the Kelces and say, “Okay, Taylor came on. That was the bet we were making, so now we’re cutting your salary in half.” Amazon is still on the hook for $100,000,000, and the Kelce brothers still have $100,000,000 expectations for their show.
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