For the first time, Forbes has analyzed the earning power of podcasts.
Podcasts have enjoyed of great popularity in the United States.
According to Statista, in 2006, only 22% of the adult population in the United States was aware of this term, but this figure rose to 70% in 2019. Just last year, there were an estimated 86 million podcast listeners in the U.S., a number which is forecast to grow to around 132 million by 2022.
With these increasing numbers, it’s evident that there should be top podcasts, and with that in mind, Forbes analyzed the highest earners of 2019, and Statista made a chart.
- The Joe Rogan Experience, launched in 2009, is the No. 1 podcast in the world, according to Apple, and has claimed as many as 190 million downloads per month.
- The true-crime podcast My Favorite Murder generated $15 million last year for its two hosts Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark.
- The Dave Ramsey Show gives no-nonsense personal finance lessons and budgeting tools to over 13 million weekly listeners, bringing in $10 million annually, according to Forbes estimates.
- Dax Shepard and his Armchair Expert has amassed an estimated monthly audience of 20 million since the 2018 launch of his talk-show podcast, collecting $9 million annually.
- The Bill Simmons Podcast has been in Apple’s top 25 for the past two years. The flagship program raked in some $7 million last year.
