United States
Shawn Ryan is a former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor who parlayed a decorated career in special operations and intelligence into one of the more substantive long-form interview podcasts in the military and national-security space.
Total Followers +1.4%
11.6M
Across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok
Primary Platform
YouTube
6.6M followers · 57% of audience
Engagement
3.0%
vs. 1.5% category median
Sponsorship Tier
Mega
Est. $30K–$71K / IG post
Ryan — who interviewed Trump ahead of the 2024 election — told Bartlett he is firmly off the Trump train, citing the handling of Epstein files and the administration's overall direction as key grievances.
In an exclusive deal, podcast network Daylight extended its distribution and monetization arrangement with Ryan by two additional years, cementing the show alongside roster-mates Jon Stewart and Bill Maher.
Ryan accused Crenshaw of insider trading on-air; Crenshaw's lawyers responded with a defamation lawsuit threat. A planned appearance on the show was abruptly called off in January 2026 over a disagreement about guest waiver terms.
The revenue-share partnership — reportedly capable of generating up to $10M annually — replaced Ryan's prior Cumulus Media arrangement. Ryan retains full ownership and creative control of the IP.
The feature examined Ryan's rise from Navy SEAL to one of the most influential independent podcasters in the U.S., tracing his political alignments and ambitions to rival top-tier shows.
| Window | YouTube | TikTok | Combined | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last 7 days | +30K +0.5% | +18K +0.7% | +0 +0.0% | +48K |
| Last 30 days | +91K +1.4% | +67K +2.6% | +0 +0.0% | +158K |
| Last 90 days | +292K +4.4% | +269K +10.6% | +0 +0.0% | +561K |
| Last 365 days | +292K +4.4% | +269K +10.6% | +0 +0.0% | +561K |
Daily follower snapshots from CreatorDB's longitudinal index.
| Brand | Type | Platform | Date | Performance vs. baseline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tecovas Sponsorship | Sponsored content | YouTube | Sep 2026 | — |
| Sheath Sponsorship | Sponsored content | YouTube | Sep 2026 | — |
| AG1 Sponsorship | Sponsored content | YouTube | Sep 2026 | — |
| StopBox USA Sponsorship | Sponsored content | YouTube | Sep 2026 | — |
| Gusto Sponsorship | Sponsored content | YouTube | Sep 2026 | — |
| Vigilance Elite Tactical / Firearms Training | Founder / owned brand | YouTube | Long-term | — |
Shawn Ryan is a former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor who parlayed a decorated career in special operations and intelligence into one of the more substantive long-form interview podcasts in the military and national-security space. Operating under his Vigilance Elite brand, Ryan built his show around extended, candid conversations with veterans, intelligence professionals, and other figures whose stories rarely surface in mainstream media. His background lends the platform an insider credibility that distinguishes it from civilian-hosted military content — guests speak with a candor they might not offer a more detached interviewer. Ryan is also a CNBC contributor and active in veterans advocacy, and that public-service thread runs visibly through the channel's editorial mix, which spans geopolitics, true crime, UFO disclosures, cybersecurity, and self-defense alongside traditional military biography.
With a multi-million subscriber base concentrated heavily in the United States and strong secondary audiences in the UK and Canada, the show commands engagement rates well above the podcast category median across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. The sponsor roster — AG1, Tecovas, Sheath, StopBox USA, and Gusto — signals a brand-fit profile centered on premium lifestyle, wellness, firearms responsibility, and small-business tools, reflecting an audience with real disposable income and practical interests. The mix of patriot-adjacent lifestyle brands alongside a business-payroll platform suggests Vigilance Elite's reach is broad enough to attract sponsors outside the strictly military vertical, positioning Shawn Ryan well for continued crossover into the wider independent media landscape as long-form audio and video continue to gain ground on legacy news formats.
Shawnryanshow reaches an audience concentrated in United States primarily through YouTube, and is best activated via long-form YouTube integrations, Instagram Reels and Stories, TikTok branded content. Their sponsorship history skews toward Tactical / Firearms Training, a clear signal of fit for brands in those categories. Demonstrated partners include Tecovas and Sheath. Engagement on YouTube runs around 3.0%, which points to an audience better suited to category-relevant, mid-funnel campaigns than to pure-reach buys. The channel's mix of long-form YouTube integrations and Instagram Reels and Stories lets a sponsor choose between short awareness placements and longer, more detailed integrations. Because the audience follows podcast content rather than arriving through untargeted reach, sponsorships that match the channel's subject matter tend to convert more efficiently than broad placements. A consistent, on-topic posting focus gives sponsors a predictable, brand-safe environment, lowering placement risk compared with broad, general-interest channels. Campaigns here are best measured on qualified engagement and consideration within the niche rather than on raw impression volume. For United States-focused brands in Tactical / Firearms Training and related categories, Shawnryanshow offers a defined, creative-fit audience rather than broad, low-intent impressions.
Benchmark estimates for a creator at Shawnryanshow's tier (Mega, 11.6M combined followers, United States). Pulled from CreatorDB's category benchmarks.
The CreatorDB Agency runs end-to-end influencer campaigns globally — shortlisting, outreach, contracting, and performance reporting. Talk to our team about building a campaign around creators in this niche.
Yes, Shawn Ryan served as a Navy SEAL and later worked as a CIA contractor before transitioning into media and content creation. His firsthand experience in special operations and intelligence work is the backbone of The Shawn Ryan Show, lending credibility when he interviews fellow veterans and intelligence community insiders.
Vigilance Elite is a company Shawn Ryan founded that serves as the production home for The Shawn Ryan Show. Rooted in his special operations background, it is built around sharing tactical knowledge, military expertise, and honest storytelling with a broad civilian audience.
The 762 is a reference to the 7.62mm rifle caliber, one of the most widely used cartridge sizes in military service worldwide. It's a deliberate nod to his military background that resonates immediately with his core veteran and firearms-community audience.
Yes, Shawn Ryan is a CNBC Contributor, a role that sits alongside his podcast and his work at Vigilance Elite. His national security and special operations background gives him a credible platform to comment on military and geopolitical topics in mainstream financial and news media.
Yes, The Shawn Ryan Show has featured content exploring John McAfee, including questions about who McAfee was allegedly threatening before his death and details like his firm rule about no one touching his dogs. These episodes reflect the show's appetite for controversial real-life figures at the crossroads of technology, crime, and conspiracy.
Veteran advocacy is a formal part of Shawn Ryan's identity, not just a content theme. He holds a role in Special Operations Outreach for Veterans Advocacy Services, and his platform consistently amplifies firsthand accounts from the military and intelligence community, with many of his guests being fellow special operations veterans.
StopBox USA makes quick-access firearm storage solutions designed to keep guns secure yet rapidly reachable in the home. The partnership is a natural fit for Shawn Ryan, whose audience skews heavily toward firearms owners, veterans, and people focused on home defense and personal safety.
Recent sponsors of The Shawn Ryan Show include Tecovas (Western boots), Sheath (men's underwear), AG1 (daily health supplement), StopBox USA (gun storage), and Gusto (payroll and HR software). The mix spans lifestyle, tactical, and small-business products that map onto the practical interests of his audience.
The show spans military and special operations stories, CIA and intelligence operations, national politics, UFOs, true crime, cybersecurity, and self-defense. Shawn Ryan describes the mission as delivering pure honesty with an entertaining twist — drawing on his own SEAL and CIA experience to ask the questions civilian interviewers typically cannot.
The Shawn Ryan Show has grown to over 11 million total followers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, placing it firmly in the Mega tier of podcast-format creators. YouTube is its largest home with well over 6 million subscribers, and engagement runs well above the category average — a strong signal for a long-form interview show.
Stats (followers, engagement, audience demographics, growth) are pulled live from the CreatorDB API covering YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Bio and FAQ content is AI-assisted; news items are sourced from cited public press at generation time. Read the full methodology →
If you'd like to update, correct, or remove this profile, get in touch and we'll handle it within 5 business days. We don't publish private data — every stat shown comes from your public platform profiles.
@shawnryanshow · YouTube
+0 new followers
Preparing fresh data…
This usually takes 15–25 seconds.