The hit narrative audio drama Sherlock & Co. has officially passed 20 million lifetime streams and downloads, marking a major milestone for the modern-day reimagining of the classic detective stories by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Produced by Goalhanger, the podcast brings the legendary partnership of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson into the digital age. Instead of Victorian London, the duo operate in the present day—where Watson is reimagined as a former British Army doctor turned true-crime podcaster, documenting his investigations with Holmes.
Since launching in October 2023, the series has grown into one of the most talked-about narrative podcasts online, drawing in a large international audience and a dedicated community of fans.
A Modern Sherlock Holmes Story Told Through Podcasting
In Sherlock & Co, Watson records and publishes his cases as episodes of the podcast listeners are hearing, creating a meta storytelling format that blends mystery, humour and modern media culture.
The show currently attracts around 800,000 downloads each month, with listeners across the globe. Approximately 30% of its audience comes from North America, while 37% are based in the UK and Ireland, demonstrating the enduring worldwide appeal of the Sherlock Holmes universe.
Notably, the show has built a young fanbase, with most listeners under 30. Many fans also identify as LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent, reflecting the podcast’s inclusive and digitally engaged community.
Listeners can follow the show on major platforms including:
A Growing Fan Community
Beyond downloads, Sherlock & Co has built an active fan culture online. Fan art, discussion forums and meet-ups have emerged across social media and podcast communities.
The show also runs a paid membership club with nearly 4,000 supporters, offering ad-free listening, bonus content and access to a dedicated chat community.
Later this year, the podcast will take its storytelling beyond headphones with its first full live show at the Southbank Centre in September—an event that has already sold out.
A Cast Bringing Holmes and Watson to Life
The series stars Paul Waggott as Dr John Watson, alongside Harry Attwell as Sherlock Holmes and Marta da Silva as Mariana “Mrs Hudson” Ametxazurra.
Created by Joel Emery and directed by Adam Jarrell, the series is produced by Holy Smokes Audio in partnership with Goalhanger. Producers Neil Fearn and Jon Gill also contribute to the project, with Tony Pastor serving as executive producer.
Award-Winning Audio Drama
The podcast has already gained significant industry recognition. It won the Webby Awards People’s Voice award for Scripted Fiction Podcast in 2025 and the ARIA Awards in 2024.
It also topped the Pod Bible Listener Polls in 2023 for Audio Drama and was shortlisted for both Best Fiction and Best New Podcast at the British Podcast Awards in 2024.
The show’s success places it alongside some of the biggest narrative audio dramas, including Welcome to Night Vale, The Magnus Archives, and We’re Alive.
A Milestone Worth Celebrating
In a tongue-in-cheek statement celebrating the milestone, Watson joked about the podcast’s success:
“I’m here to report a murder — a serial killer, in fact. Yet another innocent milestone has been murdered in cold blood by the Sherlock & Co. podcast. That’s right, folks: 20 million downloads… and counting.”
Executive producer Tony Pastor also reflected on the origins of the show with a humorous nod to Sherlock Holmes lore:
“When I first met John Watson in the Criterion Bar and he told me he wanted to make a true crime podcast about his new flatmate, I said: ‘This isn’t really our genre.’ Then I met Sherlock… and signed the boys up there and then.”
With millions of downloads, a rapidly growing fandom and live shows already selling out, Sherlock & Co continues to prove that even more than a century after Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories, Sherlock Holmes remains one of the most compelling characters in modern storytelling.
