The podcast Rotten Mango, hosted by viral TikToker Stephanie Soo, shot to the number one position on YouTube’s new weekly podcast chart after releasing a four-part deep dive into the ongoing Diddy trial. It was only last week that Rogan’s The Joe Rogan Experience topped YouTube’s inaugural podcast rankings, with Rotten Mango sitting quietly in third. But it didn’t take long for that to change.
The first episode in the series, bluntly titled I Spent 8 Hours In A Courtroom w/ Diddy & This Is Everything He Did, clocked up a staggering 6.5 million views. The follow-up, ‘Is baby oil and lubricant a federal crime? NO’ – Diddy’s Defense | Day 1, wasn’t far behind, pulling in over 3.7 million views. Each episode runs for more than an hour and is based on Soo’s observations from inside the Manhattan courtronext
Even though Rotten Mango doesn’t come close to Rogan’s enormous YouTube following—he boasts nearly 20 million subscribers—it’s clear the appetite for true crime content is growing fast. Viewers have been flocking to these in-depth courtroom recaps, drawn in by Soo’s storytelling and behind-the-scenes insights.
YouTube’s new podcast chart, which refreshes every Wednesday, focuses strictly on playlists that creators have officially marked as podcasts. It leaves out shorter clips or highlights, giving more weight to full-length content. It’s part of YouTube’s wider move to compete with Spotify and Apple Podcasts, who’ve been running their own top charts for years.
True crime was clearly the flavour of the week. Alongside Rotten Mango, other heavy-hitting shows in the same genre also made a strong showing—48 Hours took third place, while Law&Crime Sidebar with Jesse Weber landed in fifth. The format seems to be dominating the platform, even if it doesn’t always match Rogan’s consistent numbers.
Still, YouTube’s top 10 had plenty of political voices too, with conservative-leaning shows continuing to draw big audiences. Kill Tony, hosted by Tony Hinchcliffe, who faced backlash for making racist jokes at a Trump rally, claimed fourth place. The Shawn Ryan Show followed closely in sixth, and This Past Weekend Theo Von rounded out the ninth spot.
There was also space for political commentary from the other side. The MeidasTouch Podcast, known for its anti-Trump slant and history of overtaking Rogan in other podcast charts, came in at number seven.
YouTube’s entry into podcast rankings is clearly stirring the pot. According to Edison Research, most people now get their podcast fix from YouTube over traditional platforms like Spotify or Apple. Their senior VP Melissa Kiesche told The New York Times that a bit of change at the top can only be a good thing. “They don’t want to see Joe Rogan at No. 1 every single week forever,” she explained.
And with numbers like these, it’s looking like the true crime boom—and Stephanie Soo’s courtroom chronicles—aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.