If anyone is looking for a lightweight, open sourced podcasts app, maybe give this one a try…
Antennapod
(not available on the watch play store, have to download apk)
I listen to podcast a lot and found that most podcast players are made for a phone and are heavy, ads, or pay for use apps. I tried out quite a few and this is my favorite.
Quick, easy to find favorite podcast, easy and fast downloads, and easy to navigate ui.