Podcast listening has seen a 34% increase on BBC Sounds this year with Newscast being the most popular.
There were over 2 billion plays of radio, music and podcasts on BBC Sounds between January and November 2023 compared to the same period last year.
New and popular returning podcasts helped drive listeners to BBC Sounds with a wide range of topics from history, comedy, current affairs, drama and true crime.
The top ten most popular podcasts of 2023 in the UK on BBC Sounds
- Newscast
- Just One Thing – with Michael Mosley
- You’re Dead To Me
- Uncanny
- Limelight
- Gangster: The Story Of John Palmer
- Sliced Bread
- I’m Not a Monster – The Shamima Begum Story
- Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley
- Americast
Jonathan Wall, Director of BBC Sounds says: “It’s fantastic to see the continued growth and popularity of BBC Sounds.
“Our aim has always been to provide easy access to brilliant live and on-demand audio, whenever and however our audiences choose to listen. From news, investigations, live sport and music mixes for every occasion, BBC Sounds is the destination for top quality content.
“2023 has been a great year for BBC Sounds and we look forward to continuing to work with the industry to continue delivering knock-out content for our audiences.”
Mohit Bakaya, BBC Director of Speech adds: “It’s been a remarkable year for our speech titles, winning a record number of awards in 2023, across all genres from news, science and investigations though to drama, comedy and factual storytelling.
“This is reflected in the wonderful range of podcasts and programmes, commissioned by Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live, that have dominated listening on BBC Sounds and ensured that our digital offer for audiences goes from strength to strength.”
