Whether you’re listening to be informed, entertained, or simply craving distraction on a long drive, downloadable audio programs — AKA podcasts — have brought new life to traditional talk radio formats. And since the term “podcast” was first coined in 2004, they have become a true 21st-century media sensation.
With the audience for podcasts getting bigger each day, we at BetKentucky.com paused briefly on Kentucky sports betting news and run some data analysis to find the most popular podcast amongst Kentuckians. Our experiment started by finding the top ten podcasts across America, per ThePodcasting.org. Then we ran each show cited on that list through Google Trends to determine their search volume interest in Kentucky.
Below you’ll find the top five podcasts in the Bluegrass State, ranked by their share of search engine traffic within Kentucky state lines. This is information you won't find on Kentucky betting apps, but you'll see which podcast would be most obvious to bet on for the most popular.
Not only is “The Joe Rogan Experience” the most popular podcast in Kentucky. It’s the most popular podcast in the world! Debuting in December of 2009, the long-running show has developed a devoted fanbase drawn to Rogan’s intimate interview style, and his ability to wax philosophical alongside celebrity guests ranging from Hulk Hogan to Elon Musk.
However, Rogan is also no stranger to controversy in his time behind the mic. In particular, the show came under fire for statements made by Joe Rogan expressing his skepticism of the COVID-19 vaccine. This eventually culminated in rock stars Neil Young and Joni Mitchell removing their music from Spotify, the exclusive partner for Rogan’s pod. The streaming service signed a deal worth an estimated $200 million dollars to distribute “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which began in September 2020. Although Rogan maintains a polarizing figure, there’s no question about his spot on the top of the podcasting mountain.
Next up, “Crime Junkie” is the second most popular podcast in Kentucky. Hosted by Ashely Flowers and her childhood best friend Brit Prawat, the true crime show has sparked its own controversies. “Crime Junkie” premiered in 2017, but beginning in 2019, a number of plagiarism accusations emerged. Each episode of the show covers a new true crime story, typically following a notable murder or serial killer case, and several reporters and fellow podcasters began coming forward to demonstrate uncredited similarities between their work and “Crime Junkies” episodes. Although this caused a slight dip in the show’s popularity, it was clearly only temporary. By May 2020, “Crime Junkie” was downloaded 31 million times a month, and its listenership has only grown.
At number three on our list of the most popular podcasts in Kentucky is “Call Her Daddy” — but in Lexington, the Alex Cooper-hosted show actually ranks ahead of both “Crime Junkie” and “The Joe Rogan Experience” in terms of popularity. Cooper has been podcasting since 2018, but after signing a $60 million dollar Spotify deal of her own in 2021, she became the second-highest-paid podcaster in the world (behind only to Rogan).
“My Favorite Murder” falls in at number four on our list. Another true crime pod, this one is a little more loose and comedic, with co-hosts and comedians Karen Kilagriff and Georgia Hardstark recounting true crime tales to one another in humorous fashion.
Finally, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro rounds out our list of the most popular podcasts in Kentucky with “The Ben Shapiro Show.” Available in podcast form since 2015, the show covers current events through Shapiro’s signature right-wing lens.
Author
Jeff Parker is a writer for BetKentucky.com. A writer for film, television, and the internet, Jeff is a life long movie buff, with an actual Masters Degree in Popular Culture. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he works full-time as a documentary filmmaker and producer.
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