BBC Sounds has announced a record-breaking year, with over 2.5 billion plays of radio, music, and podcasts between January and November 2025. This marks an 8% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Across all BBC platforms—including BBC Sport, BBC News, BBC Bitesize, and visualised podcasts on iPlayer—the total number of audio plays reached 2.8 billion.

Podcast listening on BBC Sounds continues to grow rapidly, with a 15% rise in plays compared to last year. To celebrate this achievement, BBC Sounds has released its Top 10 most popular podcasts of 2025 and curated a ‘Best of 2025’ collection, now available on the platform.

• Newscast – Daily news podcast offering expert analysis and insight.
• Americast – In-depth coverage of US politics and culture.
• Sherlock Holmes Short Stories – Classic mysteries narrated by Hugh Bonneville.
• Uncanny – Danny Robins explores real-life paranormal encounters.
• Elis James and John Robins – Twice-weekly comedy and entertainment.
• Short History Of… – Highlights remarkable moments and figures from history.
• Limelight – Drama serials, including the CIA thriller Central Intelligence.
• You’re Dead to Me – Greg Jenner and guests blend history and humor.
• The History Podcast – First-hand accounts of historical events.
• What’s Up Docs? – Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken offer health advice.

Jonathan Wall, Director of BBC Sounds, commented: “Reaching 2.5 billion plays this year is a significant milestone. It’s fantastic to see BBC Sounds continue to grow through our major events, stations, streams, and ongoing investment in podcasts. We’re also proud of the numerous awards won this year, especially by creators from our Audio Lab new talent programme. With podcast listening up 15% and a record weekly audience of 5.1 million during The Ashes, it’s clear that audiences are turning to us for trusted news, outstanding sport, and world-class storytelling. We look forward to further innovation to ensure BBC Sounds remains the leading destination for audio that informs, entertains, and connects listeners everywhere.”

Mohit Bakaya, Controller of BBC Radio 4 and Director of Speech Audio, added: “This year’s listening figures highlight the breadth and impact of BBC speech audio, from Radio 4’s comedy, drama, and history to our renowned journalism. The increase in podcast plays on BBC Sounds reflects the exceptional talent and compelling storytelling across our speech portfolio. From the bold narratives of the new History Podcast series to the visual innovation of The Traitors: Uncloaked, our programmes continue to engage audiences in meaningful ways. I’m especially proud that listeners are embracing ambitious investigative series like Shadow World, alongside the daily favourites that make BBC speech output a staple for millions.”

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