The Mismatch is the Top Podcast for Virginia’s Podcast Junkies

A new study recently reported that the most popular podcast in Virginia is The Mismatch.

The study analyzed the Google Trends statistics over the past 12 months to measure search data for the first 50 podcasts on Apple Podcasts’ Top 100 chart. According to national responses, Virginia’s favorite podcast, The Mismatch, was the most popular podcast in five other states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and was the most popular podcast across the Northeast.

So what exactly is The Mismatch about? You may be surprised to learn that the podcast is centered around popular topics in the NBA. It’s not surprising that a basketball-focused podcast would be one of the most popular podcasts in the country. Over the past 12 months, professional basketball news stories have reflected greater national trends, as analyzed by the New York Times. Everything from the league’s challenge to create a COVID-19-safe players’ bubble to the involvement of players in national civil rights movements around anti-Black racism has given people plenty to talk - or, perhaps, podcast - about.

Interestingly, The Mismatch is a fairly new podcast. Still, as Virginians follow teams like the Wizards and follow their favorite Virginia college players playing in the NBA, there is certainly plenty of room for The Mismatch to gain even more Virginian fans.

Speaking of the Wizards, Washington, D.C.’s favorite podcast was The Daily, a daily report on political and social news. The pick comes as no surprise when you consider that many D.C. listeners are Capitol Hill staffers looking for some entertaining news during their morning commutes from NoVa into D.C . The Daily created a number of very powerful episodes throughout 2020, and was even ranked as one of the top 10 podcasts of 2020 by Time Magazine.

As Virginians keep streaming podcasts to stay informed and entertained, it will be interesting to see if podcasts like The Mismatch and The Daily remain popular in 2021! For now, you can take a closer look at the survey’s findings of the nation’s favorite podcasts here.