Marc Maron Calls Time on His Long-Running Podcast Show

The 61-year-old actor-comedian cited ‘burn-out’ and an increase in demand for video format for podcasts.

Marc Maron attends Our House Celebrates 30th Anniversary in Los Angeles on Oct. 28, 2023. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Actor and comedian Marc Maron, best known for his popular podcast, “WTF With Marc Maron,” is bringing his show to a close after nearly 16 years.

The 61-year-old made the announcement during a June 2 episode of his podcast, citing industry “burn-out” and an increase in demand for video format for podcasts.

“WTF will turn 16 years old on Sept. 1. Sixteen years, it’s a long time. It’s a long time to do anything,” Maron told listeners.

“It really comes down to the fact that we’ve put up a new show every Monday and Thursday for almost 16 years, and we’re tired. We’re burnt out.”

Maron and his longtime producer, Brendan McDonald, launched the podcast back in 2009, recording over 1,600 episodes and engaging more than 55 million listeners per year.

“We are utterly satisfied with the work we’ve done. We’ve done great work. This doesn’t mean I’m never going to do something like this again. Doesn’t mean I’ll never have talks like I do here, or some kind of podcast at some point in time,” he continued.

Over the years, Maron interviewed a wide range of guests, including former presidents, A-list celebrities, comedians, and more.

His podcast remains among the most streamed and top-downloaded series, with 1.1 billion streams.

“It’s nice to be able to end things on our terms. We’ve always had that power to do that and that’s what we’re going to do. We started the show on our terms, we grew it on our terms, and we’ll end it on our terms,” Maron added.

While an official date was not given, the show will conclude sometime this fall, with Maron noting this isn’t an official retirement from his time behind a microphone.

“It’s been an incredible time in my life and Brendan’s life. We’ve done things that we never thought we’d be able to do because of the podcast,” he said.

“There’s probably going to be some ups and downs over the next few months with me, emotionally, around the reality of this. But this is a full-hearted decision. It’s the right decision for me. It’s the right decision for Brendan. It’s okay. It’s okay for things to end. It’s just time, folks.”

In 2021, the podcast was honored with the first-ever Governors Award from the Podcast Academy at the Ambie Awards for excellence in audio.

For over 30 years, Maron made his mark in the entertainment industry, writing and performing comedy for radio, television, print, and more.

He notably starred in the Netflix series “Glow,” his scripted series, “Maron,” and comedy special “Marc Maron: End Times Fun.”