Which podcast genres are most popular among men and women in the U.S.?

For many, podcasts are increasingly woven into daily routines, whether it's catching up on the news during a morning commute, listening to a comedy show while cooking dinner or winding down with a true crime series before bed.

But which ones connect most among different audiences? Among many other topics, YouGov's new More than meets the ear – U.S. podcast ads report 2026, explores how podcast genre preferences vary by gender in the United States.

Which podcast genres are equally popular among men and women?

When asked which types of podcasts they listen to and/or watch most often, men and women are similarly likely to mention comedy and entertainment / pop culture podcasts. Comedy podcasts are listened to and/or watched most often by 31% of men and 29% of women, while entertainment/pop culture podcasts attract 32% and 29% respectively.

Where audience preferences start to split

While comedy and entertainment/pop culture attract similar shares of men and women, differences emerge when looking at some of the most popular podcast genres.

News/current affairs are the most popular types of podcasts among Americans who listen to/watch podcasts, with half (50%) saying they most often listen to and/or watch this type of content. However, engagement is notably higher among men,  (56%) than women ( 44%).

In contrast, true crime – one of the most popular podcast genres overall (31%) – is more popular among women (35%) than men (27%). Women are also more likely to engage with education/self-improvement (25% vs. 16%), lifestyle (17% vs. 12%) and health/wellness podcasts (18% vs. 14%).

The largest gender differences, however, can be seen in sports and technology/science podcasts. Men are five times more likely than women to say they most often listen to and/or watch sports podcasts (30% vs. 6%), while technology/science podcasts attract 28% of men compared with 11% of women.

Methodology:
The insights in this article have been sourced via YouGov Surveys: Serviced – providing rapid answers from the right audience. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The survey was conducted online from March 13, 2026, to April 1, 2026. The U.S. sample size was n>  1450, and figures have been weighted to be representative of adults aged 18+ in the United States. Audiences are nationally representative of the U.S. The analysis focuses on podcast consumers (audio or video), defined as Americans who listen to or watch podcast content for any amount of time. The findings presented in this article are based on responses to the question: “Which types of podcasts do you listen to and/or watch most often? Select all that apply."