New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce is the best sports podcast in the USA in 2026, backed by a $100 million Wondery deal, chart-topping listener numbers across Edison Research, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, and a fanbase (the “92%ers”) that rivals some NFL teams in loyalty. The Kelce brothers turned a weekly football hangout into a cultural force that other sports podcasts now measure themselves against.
But New Heights is just the starting point. The sports podcast space in 2026 features former champions behind the mic, Netflix video deals reshaping how fans watch shows, and niche podcasts for everything from fantasy football to NASCAR. Below, you’ll find a quick-reference table of all 15 picks, detailed breakdowns of each show, and an honorable mentions section for the ones that barely missed the cut.
Best Sports Podcasts Quick Overview
| Rank | Podcast | Host(s) | Sport Focus | Where to Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Heights | Jason Kelce, Travis Kelce | NFL / Pop Culture | Wondery, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube |
| 2 | Pardon My Take | Big Cat, PFT Commenter | Multi-Sport / Comedy | Netflix (video), Apple Podcasts, Spotify |
| 3 | The Pat McAfee Show | Pat McAfee, AJ Hawk | NFL / Multi-Sport | YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify |
| 4 | Club Shay Shay | Shannon Sharpe | Sports / Culture | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube |
| 5 | The Bill Simmons Podcast | Bill Simmons | NBA / NFL | Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube |
| 6 | Nightcap | Shannon Sharpe, Chad Johnson | NFL / NBA | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube |
| 7 | Fantasy Footballers | Andy Holloway, Mike Wright, Jason Moore | Fantasy Football | Apple Podcasts, Spotify |
| 8 | The Ryen Russillo Podcast | Ryen Russillo | NFL / NBA / Lifestyle | Netflix (video), Apple Podcasts, Spotify |
| 9 | Club 520 Podcast | Jeff Teague, DJ Wells, B-Hen | NBA | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube |
| 10 | The Herd with Colin Cowherd | Colin Cowherd, Joy Taylor | Multi-Sport | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, FOX Sports |
| 11 | Gil’s Arena | Gilbert Arenas, Josiah Johnson | NBA | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube |
| 12 | Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective | Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon | NBA | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube |
| 13 | Men in Blazers | Roger Bennett, Michael Davies | Soccer | Apple Podcasts, Spotify |
| 14 | Spittin’ Chiclets | Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette, Rear Admiral | Hockey / NHL | Netflix (video), Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube |
| 15 | The Dale Jr. Download | Dale Earnhardt Jr., TJ Majors | NASCAR / Motorsports | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube |
Sources: Edison Research, Apple Podcasts Charts, Spotify Charts, Feedspot, iHeartPodcast Awards, Barrett Media
Detailed Breakdown of Each Podcast
Here is the detailed breakdown of all the 15 podcast.
1. New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce
Jason Kelce (retired Philadelphia Eagles center) and Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs tight end) launched New Heights at the start of the 2022 NFL season. Within two years, they signed a three-year deal with Amazon’s Wondery worth more than $100 million, per Variety. That deal gave Wondery global distribution and exclusive ad-sales rights starting in August 2024.
The show drops new episodes every Wednesday. What separates it from other athlete-hosted shows is the access. These aren’t former players talking about the game from a distance. Travis is still playing at the highest level, and Jason’s retirement in early 2024 gave him the freedom to speak even more openly about the league.
Guests range from A-list celebrities (Brad Pitt, Johnny Knoxville, Nate Bargatze) to fellow athletes and pop culture figures. The brothers also published a book called “No Dumb Questions” in partnership with HarperCollins. Their fanbase, known as the “92%ers,” helped push New Heights to the top of Edison Research’s rankings, the Spotify sports charts, and the Apple Podcasts Top 50 simultaneously.
Why does it work? Two brothers roasting each other, sharing real locker room stories, and covering the NFL with an energy no studio show can replicate. That’s the formula.
2. Pardon My Take
Pardon My Take won the 2026 iHeartPodcast Award for Best Sports Podcast at SXSW in Austin, Texas, beating out nominees like New Heights, Club 520, and The Zach Lowe Show. The Barstool Sports show, hosted by Dan “Big Cat” Katz and Eric “PFT Commenter” Sollenberger, pulls between 750,000 and 1.5 million listeners per episode, per Wikipedia’s sourced data.
The biggest development for PMT in 2026 was its Netflix video exclusive deal. Starting in January 2026, all video episodes of Pardon My Take moved exclusively to Netflix, while audio episodes stayed on all standard podcast platforms. The show runs three times per week, built around three sections: sports news recaps, a main interview, and fan-favorite segments like “Hot Seat, Cool Throne” and “Who’s Back of the Week.”
Here’s the thing about PMT: it’s not trying to be ESPN. The comedy comes first, but the sports knowledge is real. Frequent guests include Blake Griffin, Brooks Koepka, Ryan Whitney, Ryen Russillo, and Chris Long. The show launched on February 29, 2016, hit number one on the US iTunes charts within days, and hasn’t slowed down since. Apple named it one of the best podcasts of 2016, and the accolades keep stacking.
3. The Pat McAfee Show
Former NFL punter Pat McAfee turned his personality into a daily sports broadcast empire. The show runs live every weekday, co-hosted by former NFL linebacker AJ Hawk and the crew known as the “Toxic Table.” It won the Sports Business Journal’s inaugural Best Sports Audio award, which put it in a category above traditional podcasts.
McAfee’s guest list is unmatched in terms of active NFL access. Active players, head coaches, and league figures regularly call in, giving the show a credibility that few non-network programs can claim. The tone is pure locker room energy mixed with genuine analysis, and McAfee’s charisma makes even slow sports news days feel entertaining.
The show generated over 1 billion views across social media platforms in a single month in early 2026, per The Red and White Review. That’s not a podcast stat. That’s a media empire stat. You can catch full episodes on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify, with clips dominating every social platform.
4. Club Shay Shay
NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe hosts this weekly interview show where conversations run long and go deep. Club Shay Shay won the 2024 iHeartRadio Best Sports Podcast award and a Webby Award, and it consistently appears in Apple’s Top 50 and Edison Research’s top sports shows.
The Katt Williams episode in January 2024 broke the internet. It generated headlines for weeks and even got parodied on Saturday Night Live. That viral moment pushed Club Shay Shay from a strong sports podcast into a full-blown cultural platform. Sharpe’s guest list now extends well beyond athletes, bringing in icons like Magic Johnson, Ice Cube, Usher, and even former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign season.
I think Sharpe’s greatest strength is his patience as an interviewer. He lets silences hang. He doesn’t rush to the next question. That approach gets guests to say things they wouldn’t say on a 7-minute cable TV segment. It’s a production choice that most shows skip, and it’s exactly why Club Shay Shay keeps making headlines.
5. The Bill Simmons Podcast
Bill Simmons runs one of the most downloaded sports podcasts in history. The show anchors The Ringer Podcast Network and covers a wide range of sports, with a heavy lean toward the NBA and NFL. Simmons brings on guests like Zach Lowe, Cousin Sal, Joe House, and Chris Ryan for segments that mix sharp analysis with genuine fun.
The signature segment is “Guess the Lines” with Cousin Sal, where the two break down NFL betting lines each week during football season. NBA trade episodes with Zach Lowe are appointment listening for basketball fans. Recent highlights include the 2026 NBA Draft reactions, Knicks Finals coverage, and Giannis Antetokounmpo trade discussions.
What makes Simmons different from the louder voices on this list is his conversational style. He talks about sports the way you’d talk about them with your smartest friend over a drink. No yelling. No forced controversy. Just well-informed opinions backed by decades in the industry.
6. Nightcap
Shannon Sharpe’s second show on this list pairs him with Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson for a daily nighttime reaction show. Nightcap drops episodes right after games end, giving fans instant reactions and debates about the night’s biggest NFL, NBA, and college sports moments.
The chemistry between Sharpe and Johnson carries the show. Sharpe brings the football knowledge and strong opinions. Johnson brings the humor and unpredictability. The format is built for speed, covering multiple topics in a single episode, and the show’s presence on Edison Research and Apple Podcasts Top 50 charts confirms it has found a massive audience.
If Club Shay Shay is where Sharpe goes deep, Nightcap is where he fires from the hip. Both approaches work. Having two shows in the top 15 is a statement about how dominant Sharpe has become in sports media.
7. Fantasy Footballers
Andy Holloway, Mike Wright, and Jason Moore host the most popular fantasy football podcast in the country. The show runs daily during football season with draft advice, start/sit recommendations, waiver wire picks, and trade analysis. They’ve won multiple industry awards and built a community that trusts their accuracy year after year.
The Fantasy Footballers works because the three hosts bring different styles to the same table. You get high-energy debate, data-driven projections, and practical advice you can use for your league that week. The show also branches into dynasty leagues and DFS content during the offseason.
For anyone playing fantasy football in 2026, this is the show your league-winning opponent is listening to. Not even close.
8. The Ryen Russillo Podcast
Ryen Russillo brings something that most sports podcasters don’t: genuine restraint. His show on The Ringer (now part of Barstool) features detailed NFL and NBA breakdowns, draft analysis, and deep-dive interviews with insiders like Jeff Passan and Todd McShay. But the segment fans love most is “Life Advice,” where Russillo reads listener emails about relationships, career dilemmas, and everyday problems.
In 2026, the show’s video episodes moved exclusively to Netflix as part of Barstool’s multi-year deal. Audio episodes remain on all platforms. Russillo’s format typically breaks into three blocks: a signature opening monologue, an interview, and Life Advice with co-hosts Kyle and Ceruti.
The show ranks consistently on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts sports charts. If you want a sports podcast that treats you like an adult and doesn’t rely on yelling to keep your attention, Russillo is your pick.
9. Club 520 Podcast
Former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague, DJ Wells, and Bishop B-Hen (B-Hen) built Club 520 into one of the fastest-rising NBA podcasts in the country. The show made the Edison Research top sports list and earned a 2026 iHeartPodcast Award nomination in the Best Sports Podcast category alongside Pardon My Take.
Club 520 feels like overhearing NBA players talk trash at a pickup game. Teague’s stories from his playing days with Derrick Rose, LeBron James, and the Atlanta Hawks give the show insider credibility. Recent episodes covered 2026 NBA Finals reactions, Ja Morant trade scenarios, the Trae Young trade saga, and the Austin Reaves max contract debate.
The rise of Club 520 represents a bigger trend in 2026: fans want to hear from the players themselves, not just analysts talking about the players. Teague delivers exactly that.
10. The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Colin Cowherd and co-host Joy Taylor deliver a daily sports talk show on FOX Sports that doubles as one of the most popular sports podcasts in the USA. Cowherd’s style is opinionated, analogy-heavy, and deliberately provocative. He covers the NFL, NBA, college sports, and whatever else is making headlines.
The show streams live and publishes full episodes across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, and FOX Sports’ own platform. The “Where Colin Was Right, Where Colin Was Wrong” segment has become a signature bit, and recent 2026 episodes have focused heavily on the FIFA World Cup, NBA offseason moves, and NFL draft analysis.
Love him or not, Cowherd has one of the most distinctive voices in sports media. And the listener numbers back it up. The Herd appears consistently on both Edison Research and Apple Podcasts Top 50 charts.
11. Gil’s Arena
Three-time All-NBA guard Gilbert Arenas hosts one of the most polarizing sports shows in the country. His rotating crew includes former NBA players Nick Young, Rashad McCants, and Brandon Jennings, and together they deliver raw, unfiltered takes on the NBA that regularly go viral.
Gil’s Arena lives on the line between entertainment and controversy. The appeal is the unscripted banter and genuine stories from the 2000s NBA era. The criticism, especially in online communities like Reddit, is that some of the takes lack reliability. But the audience keeps growing, and the show earned a spot on Edison Research’s top sports podcasts list.
If you want polished analysis, look elsewhere. If you want to hear a former All-Star say exactly what he thinks with zero filter? This is it.
12. Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective
ESPN senior writer Brian Windhorst hosts the gold standard for NBA insider podcasts. Regular panelists Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps (collectively known as “The Two Tims” by fans) bring front-office connections and beat-reporter depth that no other NBA podcast can match.
The show covers trade rumors, salary cap details, playoff analysis, and behind-the-scenes league dynamics. Recent episodes broke down the 2026 NBA Draft, major trade scenarios, and Finals matchup analysis. Episodes are available on Apple Podcasts and as video on ESPN’s YouTube channel.
For fans who care about the why behind NBA moves, not just the what, this podcast is essential listening.
13. Men in Blazers
Roger Bennett and Michael Davies host the top-ranked soccer podcast in North America. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup on U.S. soil, Men in Blazers has never been more relevant. Their flagship Monday show covers Premier League action, while dedicated feeds handle Champions League, match breakdowns, and daily news during tournaments.
The show also features “The Deuce with Clint Dempsey,” bringing the USMNT legend into the fold, and “World Corrupt,” a six-episode deep dive into soccer and geopolitics. The humor is dry, the analysis is sharp, and the show has cultivated a community that treats soccer with the passion Americans usually reserve for football.
14. Spittin’ Chiclets
Ryan Whitney, Paul “Biz Nasty” Bissonnette, and Rear Admiral (Mike Grinnell) host the undisputed top hockey podcast on the planet. Part of Barstool Sports, the show mixes raw NHL insider stories with locker room humor and candid interviews with current and former players.
Like Pardon My Take and Russillo, Spittin’ Chiclets moved its video episodes exclusively to Netflix in early 2026 as part of Barstool’s multi-year deal. Audio remains on all platforms. The show’s guest list reads like an NHL Hall of Fame ballot, and their ability to get active players to share stories that would never make it onto a broadcast is the show’s biggest strength.
Hockey podcasts are a smaller market than NFL or NBA shows. But in that space, Spittin’ Chiclets dominates. No other hockey show comes close in audience or influence.
15. The Dale Jr. Download
Dale Earnhardt Jr. brings NASCAR royalty to the podcasting world. As NASCAR’s 15-time Most Popular Driver and a two-time Daytona 500 winner, Earnhardt Jr. hosts the flagship show of his Dirty Mo Media network alongside TJ Majors.
The show covers the NASCAR Cup Series with a mix of commentary, long-form interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories from racing’s biggest names. Recent episodes feature team owners, veteran broadcasters, and deep dives into the history of stock car racing. The Reddit NASCAR community consistently highlights post-2019 episodes as the show’s strongest stretch, thanks to studio and format upgrades.
For motorsports fans, The Dale Jr. Download is the clear number one. The podcast brought NASCAR content into the same conversation as NFL and NBA shows, and that’s a win for the sport.
Honorable Mentions
These shows didn’t crack the top 15 but deserve a shout. Each one has a loyal audience and strong content.
| Podcast | Host(s) | Sport Focus |
|---|---|---|
| The Dan Patrick Show | Dan Patrick | Multi-Sport |
| The Zach Lowe Show | Zach Lowe | NBA |
| Bussin’ With The Boys | Taylor Lewan, Will Compton | NFL / Lifestyle |
| The Athletic Football Show | The Athletic staff | NFL |
| The MeatEater Podcast | Steven Rinella | Hunting / Outdoors |
| The Lowe Post | Zach Lowe | NBA |
| Tea with A & Phee | A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier | WNBA |
| The Pivot Podcast | Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, Channing Crowder | NFL / Culture |
| Almost Athletes | Dude Perfect | Multi-Sport / Comedy |
| Stephen A. Smith Show | Stephen A. Smith | Multi-Sport |
Sources: Edison Research, Apple Podcasts Charts, Spotify Rankings, Feedspot, CastFox
Several of these are right on the edge of the top 15. The Zach Lowe Show and The Lowe Post remain essential for NBA analytics fans. Tea with A & Phee, hosted by A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier, represents the growing strength of women’s sports podcasting in 2026. And The Pivot Podcast, led by Ryan Clark, continues to push the athlete-interview format in new directions.
How to Pick the Right Sports Podcast for You
| If You Want… | Listen To |
|---|---|
| NFL insider access from active players | New Heights |
| Comedy-first sports coverage | Pardon My Take |
| Daily live sports talk | The Pat McAfee Show |
| Long-form celebrity interviews | Club Shay Shay |
| NBA analytics and trade talk | The Bill Simmons Podcast |
| Instant post-game reactions | Nightcap |
| Fantasy football advice | Fantasy Footballers |
| Smart analysis without yelling | The Ryen Russillo Podcast |
| Unfiltered NBA player takes | Club 520 Podcast |
| Daily opinion-driven debate | The Herd with Colin Cowherd |
| Soccer coverage for the World Cup | Men in Blazers |
| NHL insider stories and banter | Spittin’ Chiclets |
| NASCAR and motorsports | The Dale Jr. Download |
Most dedicated sports fans listen to two or three shows in rotation. Stack a daily show (McAfee, Cowherd, or Nightcap) with a weekly deep-dive (Simmons, Club Shay Shay, or Russillo) and a niche pick for your favorite sport. That’s the sweet spot.
Conclusion – New Heights Leads a Golden Era for Sports Podcasts in the USA in 2026
The best sports podcasts in the USA in 2026 share one thing: authenticity. Whether it’s the Kelce brothers joking about their childhood, Shannon Sharpe letting a guest sit in silence, or Ryen Russillo reading a fan’s dating dilemma, the shows that win are the ones where the hosts sound like real people.
What surprised me most about this list is the athlete takeover. Seven of the top 15 shows are hosted or co-hosted by former or current professional athletes. That wasn’t the case even three years ago. The Netflix deals for Pardon My Take, Russillo, and Spittin’ Chiclets also signal a new era where sports podcasts aren’t just audio anymore. They’re full-blown video properties competing with traditional TV.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup on American soil, the NFL’s expanding global reach, and an NBA offseason filled with blockbuster trades mean there’s never been more to talk about. And there’s never been a better group of podcasters doing the talking. Which shows are in your rotation?
