Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC lands at #4, translating decades of TV investigative journalism into a podcast format that draws 4.2 million listeners per episode by March 2026. The show's 60-minute deep dives offer 25% more case details than the typical true crime rival, leveraging the NBC News brand's reliability to sustain audience trust. This depth, however, trails behind #3 Crime Junkie's higher download volume, as listeners favor faster-paced narratives.