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YouTube launched a new weekly chart of the most-watched podcasts on its platform as the Alphabet-owned company ramps up competition with Spotify and Apple in the rapidly evolving audio market.
“The Joe Rogan Experience” topped the debut of the Weekly Top Podcast Shows Chart, which ranks US podcasts based on total watch time, followed by “Kill Tony” and “Rotten Mango.”
“Kill Tony” is a live comedy podcast hosted by Tony Hinchcliffe. In October, Hinchcliffe faced significant backlash after making controversial remarks at a Donald Trump rally at Madison Square Garden during which he referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”
Other notable podcasts on the chart include “48 Hours,” a true crime series by CBS News (No. 4), retired football great Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” (No. 7), “This Past Weekend” starring former MTV “Road Rules” personality Theo Von (No. 8), and conservative Sirius/XM host Megyn Kelly (No. 19).
Two spots beneath Kelly is NewsNation’s “Reality Check with Ross Coulthart,” according to the YouTube ratings.
YouTube’s new ranking feature is expected to offer podcasters increased visibility and help viewers find trending content, mirroring tools already offered by competing platforms.
According to Edison Research, YouTube has already surpassed Spotify and Apple Podcasts as the top platform where Americans consume podcasts.
The company says podcasts generate more than one billion monthly active views on the platform.
“YouTube just isn’t a place where you drop your content from other sources,” Ben Meiselas, co-founder of the progressive political show “The MeidasTouch Podcast,” told CNBC.
“We want to focus on making YouTube a channel the way people watch cable news.”
Meiselas, whose podcast came in at No. 5 on the chart, emphasized the platform’s economic advantage, noting that YouTube provides better cost-per-mille (CPM) rates — advertising lingo for cost per thousand impressions — than its competitors.
The rise of video podcasts has been one of the defining themes of the 2025 media Upfronts, as platforms compete for advertisers seeking high-engagement formats.
Spotify has expanded its own video podcast offerings. The Swedish-based streamer reported over 100 million dollars in global payouts to podcasters in the first quarter of this year.
Nonetheless, YouTube remains the dominant player in terms of creator revenue and audience scale.
