{"id":969209,"date":"2026-07-30T14:35:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T14:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/969209\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T14:35:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T14:35:15","slug":"the-highest-paid-podcasters-of-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/969209\/","title":{"rendered":"The Highest-Paid Podcasters Of 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Jay Shetty <\/strong>started his podcast On Purpose in 2019, he remembers people telling him he was too late. The medium was already saturated, they said, with little room for growth. And wasn\u2019t he really just a content creator? <\/p>\n

Seven years later, the 38-year-old self-help guru hosts one of the most popular podcasts in the world, competing not only with the biggest TV, radio and internet-native talk shows but blurring the lines between them entirely. Just as many people watch his lengthy interviews with celebrities (including Michelle Obama and Matt Damon) on YouTube as listen on the iHeartMedia network\u2014distribution deals that Forbes estimates paid Shetty $21 million over the past 12 months. And when those deals expired this year, Shetty landed a new kind of contract, in which the audio and video of his show will not only be distributed by Spotify; it will also stream on Netflix, with the two companies combining to pay him an estimated $100 million over the next three years. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started, video wasn\u2019t normal for a podcast,\u201d Shetty tells Forbes<\/a>. \u201cNow we had the four largest streamers bidding for the show. To see that kind of interest and enthusiasm was pretty amazing\u2014for me and for the industry overall.\u201d <\/p>\n

The impressive thing about megadeals like Shetty\u2019s is that unlike the makers of movies, TV or other forms of entertainment, podcasters retain ownership of their show\u2019s underlying IP, meaning networks and platforms are paying millions just to license it as a distributor and ad sales partner for a set number of years. That\u2019s one reason why premium streaming giants like Netflix, Hulu and Tubi had largely ignored the industry\u2019s rise over the past decade, allowing YouTube to grow into the largest podcasting platform in the world. But beginning in 2025, hoping to cut into YouTube\u2019s dominance over engagement time, the streamers have made a splashy entrance. <\/p>\n

Industry dealmakers say that after Netflix\u2019s initial $1 million to $2 million bids for top podcasts were roundly rejected, the streamer adopted a strategy similar to the one it used previously to capture market share in scripted television\u2014overpaying to lure talent away from incumbent platforms. Offers of $10 million or more per year (on a one- or two-year trial term) eventually convinced marquee shows from Spotify, iHeart and Barstool Sports to sign on. Goalhanger, a U.K.-based podcast network, reportedly landed $19 million from Netflix to stream just 40 episodes of its daily talk show The Rest Is Football during the World Cup. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe think about video podcasts like a modern talk show,\u201d Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said during the company\u2019s earnings call earlier this year. \u201cBut instead of having a single brand-defined show, you have hundreds of them.\u201d <\/p>\n

Yet podcasts are ascendant because of their inherent differences from traditional television. They are much cheaper to produce, can run year-round and make the bulk of their money from host-read advertisements inserted into the audio and video recordings. For the highest-end shows, brands will pay premium prices for a trusted host\u2019s personal endorsement, or to target their audience\u2019s specific demographic. <\/p>\n

Joe Rogan reigns as the world\u2019s highest-paid podcaster by pairing deep listener trust with massive scale, releasing around 15 episodes per month and attracting more than 80 million downloads and views, according to one data provider. In 2024, Spotify rewarded him with a new three-year contract that could reach $250 million. <\/p>\n

For most podcasters, landing a $100 million\u2013plus deal like Shetty\u2019s from one of the major networks\u2014mainly Spotify, SiriusXM or iHeart\u2014is still the ultimate prize. Deals are paid out as a guaranteed advance, with a revenue sharing model in place for any additional profits generated above this break-even point, but competition between networks is what drives the guarantees above $30 million per year for a select handful of elite talent. At that rate, ad sales are unlikely to make back much profit for networks on the shows, if any. \u201cIn theory,\u201d says one top talent lawyer, \u201cif the client earns out, you\u2019ve made a bad deal.\u201d <\/p>\n

Still, networks justify their biggest deals in other ways, including subscriber acquisition, attracting blue-chip spon\u00adsorships and using talent as brand ambassadors. For example, Wondery\u2019s top podcasters, New Heights hosts Jason and Travis Kelce, appeared on a panel for parent company Amazon at the Cannes Lions festival in June. <\/p>\n

Talent, meanwhile, are using their mega\u00addeals and IP control to create mini-networks of shows under their umbrella, such as Alex Cooper\u2019s Unwell at SiriusXM or Charlamagne Tha God\u2019s Black Effect Podcast Network<\/a> at iHeart. These networks allow the talent to generate additional revenue by requiring sponsors to advertise across their slate to earn placement on the main show. To date, however, it\u2019s been difficult for these talent-led networks to generate new hits, and because they have to pay all production and overhead costs out of pocket, several companies have seen layoffs (Crooked) and high turnover (Unwell). Independent networks, such as Steven Bartlett\u2019s Flight Story<\/a> or The Joe Budden Network<\/a>, have had more success building incrementally. <\/p>\n

Even in the best circumstances, the companies exist less for the cash flow they can generate and more for the asset they can become. Bill Simmons sold his podcast network, The Ringer, to Spotify in 2020 for an estimated $200 million, and Conan O\u2019Brien did the same two years later, getting some $150 million from SiriusXM. In April, OpenAI acquired the tech-focused show TBPN for an estimated $150 million in cash and stock, which Forbes estimates netted its hosts, John Coogan and Jordi Hays, nearly $70 million. <\/p>\n

Shetty is taking a slightly different approach with his production company, Perfect Strangers, investing in a small handful of premium projects. He now has a few scripted and nonscripted TV shows in development\u2014at Netflix, perhaps not coincidentally\u2014and is a producer on the genre-bending Friends Keep Secrets, a podcast in which hosts Benny Blanco, Dave Burd (better known as Lil Dicky) and Kristin Batalucco entertain celebrity guests while being captured by hidden cameras and microphones scattered throughout their house. It was named by Spotify editors as one of the best new podcasts of the year. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople often say, \u2018Oh, if you did all this [with the podcast], why are you doing other stuff?\u2019\u2009\u201d Shetty says. \u201cAnd I\u2019m like, \u2018No, you did a lot of this so you could do everything you wanted to do.\u2019 That\u2019s the dream of being an entrepreneur.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n

Highest-Paid Podcasters of 2026\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Christian Petersen\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

1. Joe Rogan<\/strong>The Joe Rogan Experience (Spotify): $82 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sitting with the 58-year-old comedian and UFC broadcaster for three-hour conversations at his red-curtained studio in Austin, Texas, has become a rite of passage for anyone, from actors promoting a movie to politicians running for president. And regardless of whether his endorsement of Donald Trump in 2024 impacted the outcome of the election (as his buddy Dana White told Forbes<\/a>), the widespread conversation about it proves not only Rogan\u2019s power but also the legitimacy of podcasting as a whole.<\/p>\n

2. John Coogan, Jordi Hays<\/strong>TBPN (OpenAI): $70 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

A little less than a year-and-a-half after launching what they hoped to be the \u201cESPN for tech news,\u201d OpenAI bought the 11-person Technology Business Programming Network (TBPN) for an estimated $150 million in cash and stock. OpenAI founder Sam Altman had previously invested in John Coogan\u2019s first company, Soylent, and Rockwater analyst Chris Erwin called the deal<\/a> an \u201cacqui-hire\u201d for the fast-growing AI start-up at a time when it will soon need to bend the ear of regulators and investors around its IPO. Still, the show\u2019s rapid growth from $5 million in advertising in year one to a projected $30 million in year two shows that demographics of a show\u2019s audience can be just as important as its size.<\/p>\n

Sebastian Nevols for Forbes<\/p>\n

3. Steven Bartlett<\/strong>The Diary of a CEO (Independent): $45 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the first quarter of 2026, Bartlett\u2019s corporate interview show The Diary of a CEO posted its highest revenue quarter ever in the shows nine years, driving the business for the 33-year-old\u2019s entrepreneurial portfolio<\/a>, which was valued at $425 million last fall in an investment round from private equity backers, including Slow Ventures and Apeiron Investment Group. A 30 Under 30 Europe alum in 2020<\/a>, Bartlett will also appear on American television this fall as a guest shark on Shark Tank, after several appearances on the show\u2019s UK counterpart, Dragon\u2019s Den, in his native England.<\/p>\n

Weiss Eubanks\/NBC\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

4. Ashley Flowers<\/strong>Crime Junkie (Red Seat Ventures\/Tubi): $42 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

The reigning queen of true crime, the 36-year-old Flowers is the co-host of Crime Junkie and founder of Audiochuck, which signed a $150 million distribution deal with Fox subsidiaries Tubi (for video distribution) and Red Seat Ventures (for ad sales) last October. Though insiders say the majority of the revenue is tied to Flowers\u2019 flagship show, Tubi will develop a Crime Junkie FAST channel (\u201cfree ad-supported streaming television\u201d) to distribute several Audiochuck shows, and the company will also continue to distribute them on YouTube simultaneously.<\/p>\n

Emma McIntyre\/Rodin Eckenroth\/SiriusXM\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

5. Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes<\/strong>SmartLess (SiriusXM): $37 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

What started as a lark during the 2020 pandemic has turned into a legitimate and growing business empire for the SmartLess hosts, who have since launched four other shows under the SiriusXM umbrella as well as the mobile network SmartLess Mobile last June. Advertisers love their brand-safe content and star-studded guest lineup, drawn from their collective decades in show business. Weekly episodes have not slowed their individual careers (Bateman is nominated for four Emmys this fall), though earnings for those projects are not counted here.<\/p>\n

Scott Eisen\/Mel Robbins\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

6. Mel Robbins<\/strong>The Mel Robbins Podcast (SiriusXM) : $35 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

The author and motivational speaker\u2019s business has exploded since the release of The Let Them Theory in late 2024, selling over 10 million copies and growing the audience for her podcast so exponentially that SiriusXM renegotiated her agreement mid-term for more money. The 57-year-old Robbins has also taken her self-help show on tour with live episodes selling out across five states and landing a sponsorship by Microsoft Copilot. <\/p>\n

Matt Winkelmeyer\/Wondery\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

7. Jason and Travis Kelce<\/strong>New Heights (Amazon Wondery): $35 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

The timing could not have been better for the Kelce brothers, who started their podcast in the fall of 2022. That season, Jason\u2019s Philadelphia Eagles played Travis\u2019 Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, and later that summer Travis began dating the biggest pop star on the planet, Taylor Swift.<\/a> Those milestones and a steady stream of celebrity guests pushed New Heights toward the top of the podcast charts, culminating in a three-year, $100 million deal from Amazon\u2019s Wondery in August 2024. The Kelce brothers now command huge premiums on custom advertising on both their episodes and clips across social media.<\/p>\n

8. Alex Cooper<\/strong>Call Her Daddy (SiriusXM): $32 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

When the 31-year-old Call Her Daddy host signed a huge contract with SiriusXM in August 2024, she acknowledged the responsibility that came with the three-year, incentive-laden deal that has a total potential value of $125 million. \u201cThere is a lot of pressure on me to keep it moving,\u201d the 2022 30 Under 30 lister told Forbes<\/a>, \u201cbut I love pressure.\u201d That pressure has only increased since, with her Unwell network cutting ties with its second-most popular host, Alix Earle, and facing reports from Vanity Fair<\/a> about a toxic work environment. Unwell still operates a pair of satellite radio channels, and uses its deal with Sirius to continue expanding into other TV production, including this year\u2019s Hannah Montana reunion special for Disney+.<\/p>\n

Frederick M. Brown\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

9. Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor<\/strong>Pod Save America (Audioboom): $28 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

Three of the Pod Save America hosts (Favreau, Lovett and Vietor) founded left-wing multimedia company Crooked Media in 2017, and used a big SiriusXM deal in 2022 to expand to more than 100 employees. In February, Crooked decamped for distributor Audioboom, taking more of their business operations in-house. At the same time, they also signed a deal with MS NOW that will put condensed episodes of Crooked shows on linear television.<\/p>\n

Courtesy Charlamagne Tha God<\/p>\n

10. Charlamagne Tha God<\/strong>The Breakfast Club (iHeart\/Netflix): $27 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

In December, the 48-year-old host of The Breakfast Club renewed a wide-spanning agreement with iHeart Media worth up to $200 million<\/a> over the next five years, which covers not only his radio and podcast work on-air but also funding for The Black Effect Podcast Network, which he owns 51% of in a joint venture with iHeart. He told Forbes he wants to build it into \u201cthe BET for podcasting,\u201d and has launched over 60 shows. Separate from the renewal, Charlamagne co-hosts The Brilliant Idiots with stand-up comedian Andrew Schulz and scored a big payday from Netflix for his flagship daily morning drive time program, which insiders tell Forbes is the most-viewed podcast on the platform so far this year. Coming in 2027, he\u2019s been chosen to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.<\/p>\n

11. Dax Shepard<\/strong>Armchair Expert (Amazon Wondery): $25 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

As part of Wondery\u2019s podcast spending spree in 2024, the Amazon subsidiary poached the 51-year-old actor\u2019s therapy-inspired celebrity talk show from Spotify in a broad deal that included distribution, ad sales, merchandise rights, and plans to launch two new podcasts and an annual livestream. The first of those, Mom\u2019s Car, debuted in 2025.<\/p>\n

Dia Dipasupil\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

12. Amy Poehler<\/strong>Good Hang (Spotify): $24 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 54-year-old comedian and producer has found breakout success (and steadier paychecks) hosting her interview show Good Hang, which has quickly become a fixture on the celebrity promo circuit\u2014recent guests include Will Ferrell, Matt Damon and Mindy Kaling. And the formula is working\u2014earlier this year, Poehler won the first-ever Golden Globe award for podcasting.<\/p>\n

13. Bill Simmons<\/strong>The Bill Simmons Podcast (Spotify\/Netflix): $22 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Podfather\u201d was one of the earliest adopters of the medium when he started his seminal sports talk and interview show in 2007, then as an employee of ESPN. After an infamously turbulent split with the network, the 56-year-old Simmons founded The Ringer network in 2016 and sold it four years later for an estimated $200 million. He now serves as head of talk strategy at Spotify and was the first major podcast to appear on Netflix in January.<\/p>\n

14. Jay Shetty<\/strong>On Purpose (Spotify\/Netflix): $21 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

When his podcast came up for renewal, the monk-turned-wellness-entrepreneur received $100 million offers from four different suitors, eventually landing a new combined deal from Spotify and Netflix<\/a>, which will move him up the list in future years. The 38-year-old Shetty, who made the 30 Under 30 list in 2017, just relaunched On Purpose in July with an interview of Netflix star Millie Bobby Brown.<\/p>\n

15. Joe Budden<\/strong>The Joe Budden Podcast (Independent): $20 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

With more than 70,000 paid subscribers, the 45-year-old former rapper has the biggest podcast on Patreon, where fans pay directly to hear him discuss hip-hop culture with his panel of guests. With business partner Ian Schwartzman, they have built out a fully independent network<\/a> and are currently working on a technology platform with community building tools they hope to license to other creators. And in August, the network adds two new shows. Schwartzman will host an executive interview show with Yahoo Finance, and Budden is launching a true crime podcast in partnership with Law & Order creator Dick Wolf<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Patrick T. Fallon\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

16. Tucker Carlson<\/strong>The Tucker Carlson Show (Red Seat Ventures): $20 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since leaving Fox News in 2023, the 57-year-old political firebrand started his independent operation with the backing of right-wing media investor Red Seat Ventures, a firm that also backs former Fox stars Megyn Kelly and Bill O\u2019Reilly. A subscription to his Tucker Carlson Network costs $9 per month for access to everything from interviews with Donald Trump and Vladmir Putin to documentaries including The 9\/11 Files to recent monologues renouncing his affiliation with the Republican Party.<\/p>\n

Kimberly White\/Vox Media\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

17. Scott Galloway<\/strong>The Prof G Pod (Vox Media): $19 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

After entertaining offers north of $10 million per year from several networks last May, Galloway, a professor of marketing at NYU, and his Pivot co-host Kara Swisher bet on themselves in a renewal deal with Vox Media that comes with zero minimum guarantee and a 70% split of the ad revenue, which Forbes estimates generated $15 million over the past 12 months. Galloway adds to his share with a growing number of shows under his Prof G Media banner, including The Prof G Pod, Prof G Markets, and Raging Moderates), spreading his provocative brand of economic and cultural commentary.<\/p>\n

Jeff Spicer\/smoov\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

18. Andrew Huberman<\/strong>The Huberman Lab Project (Independent): $18 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

Though his audience took a hit after a 2024 New York magazine expos\u00e9<\/a>, the 50-year-old Stanford professor has weathered the storm and maintains a following for his pop neuroscience research and conversations, and a foothold with advertisers pushing health-related products, including a multimillion-dollar annual partnership with vitamin supplement maker AG1. Huberman is another of the very few top podcasters whose business runs independently from the major networks.<\/p>\n

19. Dan Katz, Eric Sollenberger<\/strong>Pardon My Take (Barstool Sports\/Netflix): $18 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

The flagship show of Barstool Sports, the Pardon My Take hosts (better known as Big Cat and PFT Commenter) landed a huge deal with Netflix last December to bring their sports talk show to the streamer\u2014and perhaps more importantly, remove it from YouTube. The pair also appear among a rotating cast of talent on Fox Sports 1\u2019s cable TV daily talk show Wake Up Barstool. <\/p>\n

Maya Dehlin\/Getty Images; Taylor Hill\/FilmMagic\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

20. Hannah Berner, Paige DeSorbo<\/strong>Giggly Squad (Acast): $18 million<\/strong><\/p>\n

After meeting on the Bravo reality show Summer House, the 34-year-old Berner and 33-year-old DeSorbo have built a passionate female fanbase for both their show\u2014which is eying a massive new deal this fall\u2014and for their individual ventures. Berner released a stand-up comedy special on Hulu in June and DeSorbo has her own pajama line<\/a>, Daphne, and a separate video interview show with Amazon Prime Video.<\/p>\n

Methodology<\/strong><\/p>\n

The rankings estimate the total amount earned by talent and\/or their corporate entities through minimum guarantees, revenue sharing, platform fees, and live events from June 2025 to June 2026. Shows that are broadcast live and syndicated into multiple markets were considered to be radio shows\u2014even if they release the episodes as podcasts later on\u2014and the hosts of shows that are only distributed on YouTube were considered internet creators. Neither were considered here.<\/p>\n

Estimations were calculated through interviews with agents, lawyers, managers, executives and industry experts. The figures represent pretax earnings specifically for podcast work, though many talents on the list earn significant additional income from movies, TV, radio, endorsements, entrepreneurial ventures, personal appearances, investments or other categories. Fees for representation (agent, manager, lawyer etc.) are not deducted.<\/p>\n

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