iHeart Audience Network Leads September Podcast Rankings
The network maintains the top spot in the U.S. Podcast Ranker with 67.3 million average weekly downloads.
Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Pop
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The iHeart Audience Network secured the number one position in the September 2026 Triton Digital U.S. Podcast Ranker, recorded for the period ending September 27. The network achieved 67.3 million average weekly downloads during this timeframe.
Why it matters
These rankings provide a benchmark for industry performance, illustrating the concentration of audience engagement across major audio networks. The stability of the top-performing shows highlights established listening habits among U.S. podcast audiences.
The iHeart Audience Network recorded 67.3 million average weekly downloads, significantly outpacing Audioboom at 15.5 million and Cumulus Podcast Network at 2.9 million. Rankings are based on version 2.2 of the IAB Podcast Technical Measurement Guidelines.
The players
iHeart Audience Network
This is a major audio network that syndicates a vast portfolio of digital podcasts across various genres.
Stuff You Should Know
This long-running educational podcast series explores a wide range of topics in a conversational style.
Pod Save America
This is a political podcast featuring former aides to President Barack Obama who discuss current events.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
This true-crime comedy podcast features hosts who share personal stories and well-known criminal cases.
Bomani Jones
He is a prominent sports journalist and commentator whose new show debuted on the podcast charts in September.
The details
The top three individual shows remained consistent, with Stuff You Should Know, Pod Save America, and My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark maintaining their respective rankings. Additionally, The Right Time with Bomani Jones made its debut within the September reporting period.
Timeline
The reporting period for the September 2026 Podcast Ranker ran from August 31 to September 27, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
The rankings are calculated using the IAB Podcast Technical Measurement Guidelines to maintain standardized metrics across the evolving audio landscape. This formalization marks a shift toward unified data reporting in the highly competitive podcast advertising market.
Listeners can find the top-ranked shows like Stuff You Should Know and Pod Save America across major streaming platforms. The status of these programs as market leaders ensures they remain highly accessible to audiences across all primary podcast distribution services.
The takeaway
The dominance of established networks and legacy podcasts suggests that listener loyalty remains high in the current audio environment. New entries like The Right Time with Bomani Jones must compete against a static group of top-performing shows to gain market share.
Further reading
For more insights on the audio entertainment market, visit the Pop section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Radio Ink.
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