YouTube has launched a new weekly ranking of its most-watched podcasts in the United States, with The Joe Rogan Experience claiming the top spot. The platform’s newly released Top 100 chart reflects viewership trends and highlights the continued dominance of Joe Rogan, a polarizing figure whose show combines long-form interviews with high-profile — and often controversial — guests.
Rogan’s podcast channel boasts nearly 20 million subscribers and has published approximately 2,570 episodes to date, according to podcast aggregator JRE Library. The cumulative runtime of the show’s video content is estimated at 284 days. The longest episode in the show’s history — a conversation with comedian Duncan Trussell — runs for 5 hours and 19 minutes and was released on August 31, 2020.
Controversial Guests, Massive Viewership
The show’s popularity is underscored by its top-performing episodes. Episode #1169 featuring Elon Musk leads with 69 million views. Other highly viewed episodes include:
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#1315: Bob Lazar and Jeremy Corbell – 63 million views
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#2219: Donald Trump – 56 million views
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#1070: Jordan Peterson – 40 million views
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#1368: Edward Snowden – 39 million views
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#1159: Neil deGrasse Tyson – 38 million views
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#1470: Elon Musk (second appearance) – 34 million views
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#1255: Alex Jones (“Alex Jones Returns!”) – 33 million views
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#1555: Alex Jones and Tim Dillon – 28 million views
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#1284: Graham Hancock – 27 million views
The show’s content and guests have helped it become one of the most influential podcasts in the country. However, this influence has not come without controversy.
Rogan’s Political Influence and Commentary
Rogan, a stand-up comedian and UFC commentator, has often drawn attention for his political commentary and guest selections. In the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, he publicly endorsed Donald Trump. In a March episode, he criticized the former president’s rhetoric towards Canada, calling their trade-related feud “stupid” and lamenting that Canadians had booed U.S. teams at sporting events over tariff disputes.
Despite his past support, Rogan has more recently criticized Trump’s immigration policies, particularly a controversial deportation operation, which he labeled “horrific.” His podcast appearance with Trump, recorded just weeks before Election Day, lasted nearly three hours and offered the Republican nominee a platform to reinforce the assertive tone of his campaign.
YouTube’s Top 100 Podcast Rankings
YouTube’s new chart also includes a diverse array of shows across genres, from comedy and commentary to true crime and news. The top 10 podcasts, as listed by YouTube, are:
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The Joe Rogan Experience
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Kill Tony
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Rotten Mango
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48 Hours
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The MeidasTouch Podcast
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H3 Podcast
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Club Shay Shay
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This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
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Smosh Reads Reddit Stories
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Dr Insanity
The rest of the Top 100 features prominent shows like The Pat McAfee Show, Lex Fridman Podcast, 60 Minutes, Timcast IRL, The Tucker Carlson Show, Breaking Points, The Philip DeFranco Show, Huberman Lab, and The David Pakman Show, among others.
YouTube has not disclosed specific methodology behind the rankings, but the list appears to be based primarily on aggregate viewership metrics.
Conclusion
As YouTube increasingly becomes a hub for long-form podcast content, its weekly rankings may significantly influence listener behavior, creator visibility, and advertising dynamics. For now, The Joe Rogan Experience remains the clear frontrunner — blending mass appeal with media scrutiny in equal measure.
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