Beyond preseason, football drafts, and kickoff, podcasts continued to be the go-to source for listeners.
Triton Digital’s August 2025 U.S. Podcast Ranker shows just how much excitement around the NFL and college football season translated into a surge of podcast listening. With the release of September’s ranking, we continue to see listening grow. At Triton, we track this activity through Podcast Metrics and layer in demographic insights with Demos+, giving publishers a richer story to tell about their audiences and giving advertisers the precision to reach the fans who matter most.
Fantasy Football Takes Center Stage
Fantasy football listeners don’t mess around. Beyond draft prep, they continue to tune into Fantasy content with 3 Fantasy podcasts making the top 150.
- FantasyPros – Fantasy Football Podcast (iHeart Audience Network) jumped an additional 11 ranks to #23, with fans tuning in week over week for fantasy advice from pickups to drops.
- Fantasy Football Today (Audacy Podcast Network) ranked at #27.
- The Late-Round Fantasy Football Podcast | iHeart (iHeart Audience Network) is making a debut at #93.
This spike underscores how seasonality drives growth in podcasting. And with Demos+, advertisers don’t just see “sports” listeners—they can target groups like young fantasy players or busy professionals managing multiple leagues, aligning campaigns with the most relevant audiences and content.
NFL Coverage and Team Loyalty
It wasn’t just fantasy talk. NFL analysis and hometown pride also made big moves:
- NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal (iHeart Audience Network) rose an additional 35 ranks to #105.
- Purple Daily – A Minnesota Vikings Podcast (Gamut Podcast Network) cracked the top 100 and moved another 32 ranks up to #98, proving there’s strong demand for team-specific coverage.
- 3 and Out with John Middlekauff (iHeart Audience Network) climbed another 32 ranks to #97, reflecting growing interest in fresh NFL commentary.
These shows highlight the power of loyalty, whether it’s a favourite team or a trusted voice; fans are deeply engaged. For advertisers, that means a chance to tap into communities where listeners don’t just tune in, they participate.
Beyond Football: Broader Sports Growth
Football dominated, but multi-sport podcasts also enjoyed the momentum:
- The Herd with Colin Cowherd (iHeart Audience Network) climbed 7 spots to #32.
- The Colin Cowherd Podcast (iHeart Audience Network) returned at #130, the 2nd podcast by Colin Cowherd making the ranks.
- The Dan Patrick Show (iHeart Audience Network) held strong, rising to #25.
- KSR (iHeart Audience Network) ranked at #65, capturing Kentucky’s passionate sports fans.
- Covino & Rich (iHeart Audience Network) rose 18 ranks to #80.
- Felger & Massarotti (Beasley Media Group) up 1 rank to #108, reflecting New England’s appetite for Patriots chatter.
- Cover 3 College Football (Audacy Podcast Network) grew 29 more ranks to #96, spotlighting NCAA excitement.
- Josh Pate's College Football Show (iHeart Audience Network) debuted to the ranker at #147.
Together, these shifts show the breadth of sports podcasting from national personalities to regional voices fueling hometown pride.
Turning Insights into Action
Football season brings listeners. Triton Digital helps you understand them. With Podcast Metrics and Demos+, publishers gain tools to showcase their most engaged communities, while advertisers get the clarity to connect with fantasy players, superfans, and loyal alumni bases in impactful ways, with data on who these audiences are behind the content. The 2025 season is just getting started, and the data proves fans aren’t just watching the game. They’re listening, too.
