
Thanks to a strong showing from Audacy, traditional radio brands carried the end of 2024 in the podcast sphere according to Triton Digital. The December US Podcast Ranker had iHeartMedia, NPR, and the aforementioned broadcaster take top sales network honors.
The iHeart Audience Network maintained its leading position in the Top Sales Networks Report with 62.7 million average weekly downloads and 17.8 million average weekly users. NPR held second place, reporting 24.5 million average weekly downloads and 5.8 million average weekly users, followed by Audacy Podcast Network at #3 with 11.9 million average weekly downloads and 4.4 million average weekly users.
The space has seen some upheaval since SiriusXM halted its relationship with the list at the end of September.
The rankings for the most downloaded and most listened-to podcasts remained consistent, with NPR News Now (NPR) holding the top spot, followed by Up First (NPR) and The Dan Bongino Show (Cumulus Podcast Network).
December saw several new entries in the rankings, including 24/7 News: The Latest (iHeart Audience Network), The Adam Friedland Show Podcast (Audioboom), and Ear Biscuits with Rhett & Link (Audacy Podcast Network). Additional debuts for downloads included This Is Important (iHeart Audience Network), Headline News from The Associated Press (Audioboom), and Red Eye Radio (Cumulus Podcast Network).
For listeners, notable debuts included Mobituaries with Mo Rocca (iHeart Audience Network), Sleep With Me (Soundrise/PRX), and Otherworld (Audacy Podcast Network).
The Top Sales Network Reports rank networks by average weekly downloads and users, adhering to v2.1 of the IAB Podcast Technical Measurement Guidelines. Triton Digital’s Podcast Metrics is certified by the IAB Tech Lab.