Cumulus Media’s podcasts had a strong presence in Triton Digital’s January 2025 Podcast Ranker, led by conservative voices like Dan Bongino and Shawn Ryan. Fellow broadcasters iHeart, NPR, and Audacy also made a significant impact in the rankings.
Covering December 30 to February 2, the latest rankings – measured through Triton’s Podcast Metrics service – highlight the top-performing podcasts and sales networks based on average weekly downloads and listeners.
Once again, the iHeart Audience Network secured the top position in the Top Sales Networks Report, recording 64.4 million average weekly downloads and 18.1 million average weekly users. NPR followed at number two with 25.7 million average weekly downloads and 6.3 million average weekly users, while Audacy Podcast Network ranked third with 12.6 million average weekly downloads and 4.7 million average weekly users.
For the most downloaded podcasts for the month, NPR stayed on top with NPR News Now maintaining the number-one position and Up First taking second. The Dan Bongino Show from Cumulus Podcast Network remained in third place. When ranked by number of listeners, NPR News Now and Up First continued to lead at first and second place, respectively, while Shawn Ryan Show from Cumulus Podcast Network climbed to third.
Among the new podcasts that made their debut in January’s rankings for both downloads and listeners were The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson from iHeart Audience Network, The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller & Adam Scott from Audacy Podcast Network, and The Todd Starnes Show from Salem Podcast Network.
Triton Digital’s Top Sales Network Reports rank networks based on average weekly downloads and average weekly users in accordance with version 2.1 of the IAB Podcast Technical Measurement Guidelines. The rankings include content owners, creators, and sales representation organizations participating in Triton’s Podcast Metrics, a system certified by the IAB Tech Lab.
