The reach of top UK podcasts has expanded significantly, with the top 29 shows now attracting half of all weekly podcast consumers aged 15 and over.
This marks a shift from 2023, when it took the top 43 shows to reach the same proportion of listeners.
According to research presented by Gabriel Soto, Senior Research Director at Edison Research at SSRS, the mainstream appeal of these shows is driving more casual listeners to the medium, which in turn benefits smaller podcasts as well.
For example, the 67th most popular show in 2026 reaches 139,000 weekly listeners, nearly double the 75,000 reached by the 67th show in 2023.
YouTube has overtaken Spotify as the most-used podcast platform in the UK, with 29% of weekly listeners aged 15 and over choosing it as their primary service, compared to 28% for Spotify and 15% for BBC Sounds.
Despite a notable increase in video podcast consumption – from 58% of weekly listeners watching video in 2023 to 72% in 2026 – audio remains the dominant format, with 87% of UK podcast consumers listening only to audio podcasts without video.
UK-based podcasts are also making an impact internationally, as the top 10 UK podcasts in the United States reach 3.5 million Americans aged 13 and over each week.
Attitudes towards artificial intelligence in podcast production are mixed.
While 66% of UK weekly podcast consumers approve of AI being used for research and 64% for brainstorming, 85% disapprove of AI hosting podcasts.
Concerns about AI’s impact are widespread: 72% see it as a threat to podcast credibility, 64% to creativity, and 63% to quality.
Device preferences are also shifting, with the proportion of listeners using smart TVs to access podcasts rising from 4% in 2023 to 10% in 2026, approaching the 14% who listen most often on a computer.
These findings highlight a rapidly evolving landscape for UK podcasting, shaped by platform preferences, technology, and changing listener expectations.
You can download the presentation here.
