December’s Triton Australian Podcast Ranker landed this morning, with a familiar leader at the top and a telling reshuffle beneath it.
While Hamish & Andy again claimed #1, December’s results showed just how concentrated the audience has become around a handful of big news, lifestyle and sport titles.
At a genre level, news stayed the dominant force. But sport and comedy weren’t far behind, pointing to a summer mix of catch-up listening and seasonal spikes.
Hamish & Andy holds #1 as gaps open inside the Top 5
Hamish & Andy finished December at #1 with 609,350 monthly listeners.
Mamamia Out Loud followed at #2 with 560,895, while ABC News Top Stories ranked #3 on 524,580.
A larger gap opened between #3 and #4. Sky News Australia Update came in at #4 with 449,275, ahead of sport title The Grade Cricketer at #5 with 424,672.
- Hamish & Andy – 609,350
- Mamamia Out Loud – 560,895
- ABC News Top Stories – 524,580
- Sky News Australia Update – 449,275
- The Grade Cricketer – 424,672
News leads genres as sport and comedy stay close
News was the top genre in December with 4,663,454 monthly listeners.
Society & Culture ranked second (3,646,984), followed by True Crime (2,588,481). Sports (2,516,865) and Comedy (2,511,478) ran almost level, underlining how tight the battle is outside the top two genres.
Lizzie Young, CEO of Commercial Radio & Audio, said: “Podcast audiences are active, loyal, and commercially engaged. Whether they’re listening for leisure, planning purchases, or deepening knowledge, they’re listening with intent. The Ranker delivers the verified insights advertisers need to reach consumers who are ready to act.”
SCA points to new launches and cricket-driven demand
Southern Cross Austereo’s LiSTNR took the top spot overall, with Hamish & Andy again leading the market.
Stephen Haddad, SCA’s Chief Operating Officer, said the results “reinforce LiSTNR’s position as Australia’s leading commercial podcast network”.
He also pointed to early traction for new titles, with Hamish & Andy Plus+ reaching 183,018 monthly listeners (ranked #31 overall) and Big Small Talk posting 86,782 (ranked #67).
Haddad said sport listening continued to lift through December, citing titles including Willow Talk Cricket Podcast (173,218 monthly listeners; ranked #33) and The Grade Cricketer, as audiences turned to LiSTNR during the Ashes series.
What December shows
December’s Ranker reinforced a few truths about Australian podcast listening.
Big, repeatable formats still win. News remains powerful, but the closest race right now is the one between sport and comedy for audience share.
It also showed how quickly new shows can move when there’s a built-in fanbase and strong distribution behind them.