Verified Confidence: high
Primary source found; it says the same thing, the scope matches, and it is reasonably current.
Safe rephrasing
Edison's Infinite Dial 2026 estimates 80% of Americans 12+, about 230 million people, have ever listened to or watched a podcast.
What the source says
Ever Consumed a Podcast Estimated TOTAL U.S. POPULATION 12+ % EVER LISTENED TO OR WATCHED A PODCAST 230 Million 80
Edison Research at SSRS — The Infinite Dial 2026 (March 2026)
- Commonly cited as
- "Most Americans have listened to a podcast"
- True origin
- Edison Research at SSRS — The Infinite Dial 2026 (March 2026)
- Type
- Stat check: A widely repeated statistic traced back to its origin.
- Year
- 2026
- Data as of
- Survey January 2026
- Last checked
- Method & sample
- Nationally representative survey of 2,050 Americans aged 12+, January 2026 (online, half probability sample), weighted.
- Drift between quote and source
- Wording changed in 2025 to include watching podcasts, so older years are not directly comparable
- Interest
- n/a (research firm; study supported by SiriusXM Media).