# Serial (podcast)

> Serial became the fastest podcast to reach 5m iTunes downloads and streams.

- Owner: This American Life / WBEZ at launch; The New York Times since 2020
- Kind: Series
- Sector: Media & publishing
- Seed date: 2014-10-03
- Observed peak date: 2014-12-18
- Date basis: Observed peak within the documented measurement window; not an all-time maximum.
- Spread Score: 42 (Notable, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Mystery & lore, Fandom mobilisation, Platform jump, Press loop, Controversy

## Summary

Serial launched through This American Life, then drew Reddit investigations, Twitter discussion and television parodies. Donations and sponsorship funded another season. A court vacated Syed’s conviction in 2022.

## Timeline

- 2014-09-19 — Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder (Press) — Koenig and Snyder previewed the podcast in a Mother Jones interview before its announced October launch.
- 2014-10-03 — This American Life / Sarah Koenig (Audio) — This American Life aired The Alibi as Serial released its first two episodes.
- 2014-10-03 — Slate / Ben Mathis-Lilley (Press) — Slate reviewed the podcast on its launch day.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/serial-podcast

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Serial (podcast).” Case HIS-01286. Spread Score v1.2: 42/100. Updated 2026-10-22. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01286