Everyone is on the lookout for a way to unwind, destress, and have fun in between, and even during, work and school.
From playing fishin frenzy on the tablet to watching popular Netflix movies on your laptop and listening to sports podcasts on your phone – getting that little bit of escapism today is easy.
The popularity of podcasts, in particular, has grown astronomically over the last few years.
As podcasting evolves and expands, the demand for podcast-based sports shows continues to rise.
According to a study by Edison Research, sports podcasts are the 5th most popular podcast US citizens listen to.
The fascinating thing about sports podcasts is the conversation isn’t just from news reporters or major clubs – they come from fans, athletes, coaches, and sports enthusiasts.
Giving listeners a new way to experience the sport they love, by sharing more than the general highlights in the news.
Providing opinions on previous and upcoming games, players, management styles sports grounds, and more.
To highlight the popularity of sports podcasts, in recent years Spotify bought a podcast – The Ringer, created by Bill Simmons, a sports writer.
Spotify purchased the channel for a whopping $250 million.
Upon acquisition, cofounder and CEO of Spotify Daniel Elk said the medium was merging into ‘the new espn’.
But now for the part you’ve been waiting for, here are the podcasts sports fans anywhere in the US should be tuning into routinely to get their fill of all things sport.
Here are the top 5 US sports podcasts you need to listen to.
#1 The Bill Simmons Podcast
Episodes: 2 per week
Podcast avg length: 99 min
Twitter followers: 5.6m
As touched on above, Spotify has bought the Bill Simmons Podcast.
It’s one of the best sports podcasts for sports fans to listen to, and it’s the most downloaded of all time.
The show features conversations between mainstays like Joe House, Cousin Sal, and other family and friends, who chat away with alternating athletes, celebs, and media figures.
#2 Pardon My Take
Episodes: 2 per week
Podcast Avg Length:129 min
Twitter followers: 5.2m
For accurate sports talk in a loud and confident manner, listen to hosts Big Cat & PFT deliver updates and thoughts on everything sports.
Many listeners call Pardon My Take their favorite sports podcast, so it’s worth a listen to see if you like what you hear.
#3 The Ryen Russillo Podcast
Episodes: 1 per week
Podcast Avg Length: 101 min
Twitter followers: 542.8k
A die-hard NBA fan, Ryen has a vast knowledge of basketball and passion combined with a great sense of humor.
Not to mention some useful life advice for fans too, which listeners have come to love. Which, altogether keeps fans coming back for more.
This show is part of the Ringer podcast network, which implies Ryen is sometimes restricted on what he can and can’t say – at least that’s what listeners believe.
This adds to the fun and engagement when Russillo slips up and says something opinionated on sports.
#4 ESPN Daily
Episodes: 1 a day
Podcast Avg Length: 33 min
Twitter followers: 46.8m
If you’re looking for more than a 2 episode per week kind of podcast on sports, ESPN Daily hosted by Pablo Torre is your next best option.
Pablo brings to the forefront new fascinating stories at ESPN, reported by the best reporters on earth.
So take a deep-dive every day into the ESPN Daily podcast for a 30-minute take on hot sports topics.
#5 90% Mental
Episodes: 1 per week
Podcast Avg Length: 48 min
Twitter followers: 0
A promising and interesting podcast where hosts in San Francisco discuss and promote the importance of mental performance in the sporting world.
The host dives into interviewing coaches, athletes, authors, and sports psychologists on their experiences and thoughts on topics in sports psychology.
With loads of different perspectives to listen to, fans can learn a lot during each episode.
Each new episode is released Monday at 5 pm.
People like to tune into podcasts because the majority want to:
- Learn something
- To be entertained
- To have something to listen to when they’re completing other tasks
- and to gain new perspectives on a subject of interest from other people
As a multi-task-friendly medium, that’s easy to access on any device, and millions of podcast episodes to choose from, it’s the trendy way for busy people to get entertainment and knowledge on the go.
