Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom to marry? Why is the media so full of bad news? Also: things ...
Insights from recent episode analysis
On the show
- David Lang2 eps
- Steve Levitt1 ep
- PJ Vogt1 ep
Also: Fareed Zakaria, Hillary Sterling, Bjarke Ingels, Dick Cavett, Sian Beilock, Daniel Diermeier, the governor, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, a death doula, an ethicist, James Daunt, Gina Raimondo, Anne Pasternak, Michael Roth, Jennifer Egan, Warren Zanes, Angela Buchdahl
Audience Interest
- society and culture topics
- human behavior insights
Podcast Focus
- hidden side of various subjects
- analysis of common questions
Publishing Consistency
- 16 years of active episodes
- weekly or more frequency
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Most discussed topics
Brands & references
Total monthly reach
Based on 1 signal.
Built from
By chart position
- 🇺🇸United States · DocumentaryHOME#32.0M to 10M
- 🇮🇳India · Documentary#1217K to 1.1M
- 🇰🇷South Korea · Documentary#187K to 460K
- 🇨🇦Canada · Documentary#467K to 357K
- 🇮🇩ID · Documentary#165K to 345K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
2.8M to 15M🎙 Daily cadence·934 episodes·Last published 2d ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
9.2M to 49M🇺🇸71%🇮🇳8%🇰🇷3%+11 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
5.1M to 27M
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
—
Total Plays
—
Total Reviews
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/23/26 | 692. What Will A.I. Do to (and for) Human Creativity? | Writers, designers, actors, coders, musicians, thinkers — they’re all worried about being replaced by machines. But what if the A.I.s are actually here to help? (Part one of a two-part series.) | 59m 09s | ||||||
| 10/21/26 | Are Private Equity Firms Plundering the U.S. Economy? (Update) | They say they make companies more efficient through savvy management. Critics say they bend the rules to enrich themselves at the expense of consumers and employees. Can they both be right? (Probably not.) | 48m 04s | ||||||
| 10/16/26 | 691. Is This What a “Good Billionaire” Looks Like? | David Rubenstein, a product of the old bipartisan D.C., made his fortune in private equity. He’s been spending it on “patriotic philanthropy” and institutions like the Kennedy Center, where Trump fired him as chairman. Now he wonders if the center can hold. | 43m 23s | ||||||
| 10/9/26 | 690. It’s Show Business, Baby! | Podcasting started as a niche-nerd pursuit. Now it’s a $9 billion industry. Is that a lot? The strange economics of this thing we do. | 1h 01m 50s | ||||||
| 10/2/26 | 689. Here’s Why Your Hamburger Just Got So Pricey | An economist calls America’s beef industry a “miracle.” An antitrust scholar calls it “broken.” Maybe they’re both right? | 49m 25s | ||||||
| 9/25/26 | 688. When Is a Bet Not a Bet? | That’s the question at the heart of a battle between Kalshi and state gambling regulators. As prediction markets boom, there are other questions, too — about insider trading, market manipulation, and whether the public has turned against them. (Part two of a two-part series.) | 50m 32s | ||||||
| 9/18/26 | 687. Are Prediction Markets the Best Forecasting Tool Ever — or Just Another Casino? | The promise is that they can beat the experts at predicting inflation, elections, and FDA approvals. But right now, roughly 90 percent of the action is sports. Is this a future we want to bet on? Stephen Dubner speaks with, among others, the C.E.O. of Kalshi. (Part one of a two-part series.) | 48m 39s | ||||||
| 9/16/26 |  How to Be a Double Unicorn, with John Urschel | Better in Person | He was thriving in the N.F.L., but then he decided to focus on mathematics — a subject he now teaches at M.I.T. John walks Stephen Dubner through the whole story, teaches him some blocking techniques, and explains why some infinities are bigger than others. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, you can watch it on YouTube or Apple Podcasts. | 32m 32s | ||||||
| 9/11/26 | 686. Why Is It So Hard to Find an NFL Quarterback? | For decades, teams have tried (and mostly failed) to predict which college quarterbacks will thrive in the pros. Is the science finally catching up? Stephen Dubner speaks with a scout, a psychologist, a data warrior, and a Hall of Fame quarterback who nobody wanted. | 58m 20s | ||||||
| 9/9/26 | bookstoresretail+3 | James Daunt | Barnes & NobleWaterstones+1 | London | James DauntBarnes & Noble+5 | — | 32m 09s | ||
Want analysis for the episodes below?Free for Pro Submit a request, we'll have your selected episodes analyzed within an hour. Free, at no cost to you, for Pro users. | |||||||||
| 9/4/26 | A.I.job creation+3 | Gina Raimondo | Freakonomics RadioStitcher | — | A.I.jobs+3 | — | 57m 37s | ||
| 9/2/26 | institutional managementculture war+3 | Anne PasternakMichael Roth | Brooklyn MuseumWesleyan University | — | institutionculture war+3 | — | 37m 35s | ||
| 8/28/26 | art restitutionmuseum ethics+3 | — | Museums | — | stolen artmuseum collections+3 | — | 50m 48s | ||
| 8/26/26 | confidenceluck+3 | Jennifer Egan | Better in Person | — | Jennifer Eganconfidence+3 | — | 42m 42s | ||
| 8/21/26 | museumsart+4 | — | Freakonomics RadioStitcher | — | museumsartifacts+3 | — | 52m 55s | ||
| 8/19/26 | musicbiography+3 | Warren Zanes | Del Fuegos | — | Warren ZanesSpringsteen+3 | — | 50m 40s | ||
| 8/14/26 | art theftmuseum artifacts+3 | — | Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe Case of the $4 Million Gold Coffin | Egypt | Egyptian antiquityart theft+3 | — | 54m 10s | ||
| 8/12/26 | religionidentity+3 | Angela Buchdahl | — | — | rabbiAsian American+3 | — | 34m 17s | ||
| 8/7/26 | financial marketsA.I.+3 | Gary Gensler | A.I.S.E.C. | — | Gary GenslerS.E.C.+3 | — | 1h 06m 59s | ||
| 8/5/26 |  Does it Take a Twisted Mind to Write Twisted Stories? | Better In Person | Harlan Coben doesn’t think so. The mega-best-selling author talks suburbia, impostor syndrome, and what he learned from his college friend David Foster Wallace. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, you can watch it on YouTube or Apple Podcasts. | 44m 59s | ||||||
| 7/31/26 | 683. In the New Space Race, Who Makes the Rules? | Governments started the space age. Now, billionaires and private firms are reinventing it. Guest host Steve Levitt explores what the past can teach us about a high-stakes future. (Part two of a two-part series.) | 56m 27s | ||||||
| 7/29/26 |  How Gary Gulman Turned Depression Into Comedy Gold | Better in Person | Gary and Stephen talk about creativity, recovery, getting fired, and holding grudges. They also get outside and play basketball, which is a big part of how Gary stays well. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, watch it on YouTube or Apple Podcasts. | 47m 06s | ||||||
| 7/24/26 | 682. Should A.I. Move to Space? | At first it sounds ridiculous. But it might be inevitable. Guest host Steve Levitt talks to a team that hopes to push A.I. infrastructure off the planet. (Part one of a two-part series.) | 48m 18s | ||||||
| 7/22/26 | cookingcaregiving+3 | Hillary Sterling | Ci Siamo | BrooklynNew York City | Hillary Sterlingcooking+3 | — | 42m 47s | ||
| 7/17/26 | allergypenicillin+3 | — | — | — | penicillin allergymisdiagnosis+3 | — | 1h 05m 15s | ||
| 7/14/26 | architecturedesign+3 | Bjarke Ingels | Better in PersonYouTube+1 | — | architectureBjarke Ingels+5 | — | 43m 27s | ||
| 7/9/26 | talk showsmedia+3 | Dick Cavett | FreakonomicsYouTube+1 | — | talk showDick Cavett+5 | — | 43m 27s | ||
| 7/3/26 | trust in universitiespsychology+3 | Sian Beilock | Dartmouth | — | universitiestrust+5 | — | 49m 55s | ||
| 6/26/26 | university managementpublic trust+3 | Daniel Diermeier | Vanderbilt | — | Vanderbiltuniversity+5 | — | 1h 04m 06s | ||
| 6/24/26 | insurancesubscriptions+3 | — | — | — | insurance formssubscriptions+3 | — | 54m 46s | ||
| 6/19/26 | medical aid in dyingethics of death+3 | the governora Nobel Prize-winning economist+2 | — | New York | good deathmedical aid in dying+5 | — | 50m 25s | ||
| 6/12/26 | backgammonstrategy+4 | — | N.F.L. | — | backgammonN.F.L.+5 | — | 59m 19s | ||
| 6/10/26 | air pollutionenvironmental regulations+3 | — | Trump administrationThis Is Your Brain on Pollution | United States | air pollutionenvironment+3 | — | 47m 24s | ||
| 6/5/26 | U.S. declineinternational order+4 | Fareed Zakaria | — | AmericaMiddle East | Americadecline+5 | — | 1h 05m 29s | ||
| 5/29/26 | curiosityscience+3 | — | — | — | Richard Feynmancuriosity+3 | — | 1h 00m 51s | ||
| 5/27/26 | physicsbiography+4 | — | — | QueensCalifornia | Richard Feynmanphysics+3 | — | 52m 51s | ||
| 5/22/26 | scienceideas+3 | — | — | — | Richard FeynmanManhattan Project+3 | — | 1h 03m 18s | ||
| 5/15/26 | gamesNew York Times+4 | — | WordleNew York Times | — | New York TimesWordle+4 | — | 57m 17s | ||
| 5/8/26 | composer emotionsworld premiere+3 | David Lang | New York Philharmonic | — | composerworld premiere+5 | — | 45m 23s | ||
| 5/6/26 | economicspolitics+3 | — | Freakonomics RadioStitcher | — | Adam Smitheconomics+5 | — | 1h 08m 15s | ||
| 5/1/26 | moneyeconomics+4 | David Lang | New York PhilharmonicThe Wealth of Nations | — | moneyDavid Lang+5 | — | 54m 11s | ||
| 4/24/26 | healthcareentrepreneurship+3 | — | Epic Systems | Verona, Wisc. | Judy FaulknerEpic Systems+3 | — | 1h 00m 52s | ||
| 4/22/26 | ratsscapegoat+4 | — | Freakonomics Radio | New York City | ratsNew York City+5 | — | 40m 34s | ||
| 4/17/26 | Alzheimer's Diseasemedical research+3 | — | Alzheimer’s Disease | — | Alzheimer'smedical research+3 | — | 1h 01m 18s | ||
| 4/10/26 | beekeepinghoney fraud+3 | Steve Levitt | — | — | beekeepinghoney+5 | — | 55m 51s | ||
| 4/8/26 | U.S. tax systempolitics+4 | — | Washington | — | taxesnational debt+5 | — | 1h 04m 26s | ||
| 4/3/26 | bourbontradition+3 | — | — | Kentucky | bourbonKentucky+4 | — | 46m 20s | ||
| 3/27/26 | musicdistraction+3 | — | StitcherFreakonomics Radio | — | Taylor SwiftBad Bunny+5 | — | 53m 58s | ||
| 3/25/26 | self-driving carsunions+3 | PJ Vogt | — | Boston | driverless carsBoston+3 | — | 1h 05m 47s | ||
| 3/20/26 | driverless carstechnology+4 | — | driverless carsGoogle+2 | — | driverless carsGoogle+4 | — | 1h 11m 28s | ||
| 3/13/26 | scammersdigital tools+3 | — | Freakonomics RadioStitcher | — | scammersdigital tools+3 | — | 47m 01s | ||
Showing 51 of 934
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Distribution & Reach
About the show, platforms, and key insights.
Distribution & Reach
About the show, platforms, and key insights.
Key insights
What the show covers
- hidden side of various subjects
- analysis of common questions
- exploration of quirky facts
- economic principles in daily life
Audience interests
- society and culture topics
- human behavior insights
- documentary style storytelling
- curiosities about everyday life
Platform reach
- available on multiple platforms
- SiriusXM Podcasts+ subscription
- Apple Podcasts access
- growing listener base expected
Publishing consistency
- 16 years of active episodes
- weekly or more frequency
- over 900 episodes produced
- consistent content delivery
Chart history for Freakonomics Radio
Peaked at #1 in South Korea, top 10 in 29 of 50 tracked markets, currently #1 in South Korea.
| Market | Genre | Peak | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | — | #1 | #1 | — |
| India | — | #1 | #1 | — |
| SG | — | #1 | #1 | — |
| TH | — | #1 | #1 | — |
| PH | — | #1 | #1 | — |
| ID | — | #1 | #1 | — |
| HK | — | #2 | #2 | — |
| VN | — | #2 | #2 | — |
| PE | — | #2 | #2 | — |
| South Africa | — | #2 | #2 | — |
| United States | — | #3 | #3 | — |
| IL | — | #3 | #3 | — |
| MY | — | #3 | #3 | — |
| Canada | — | #4 | #4 | — |
| Finland | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| SG | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| AR | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| CZ | — | #6 | #6 | — |
| AE | — | #6 | #6 | — |
| Australia | — | #7 | #7 | — |
Chart Positions
50 placements across 40 markets.
Chart Positions
50 placements across 40 markets.