Commercial radio’s lead over the BBC is no longer a trend. It’s the norm....

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The latest RAJAR results show a media landscape that’s evolving fast — but one where commercial radio continues to not just hold its ground, but expand its dominance. From digital innovation to audience growth, the sector is proving that smart investment in content, platforms and tech is paying off.

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Here’s what stood out in Q1 2025:

Radio Is Still Big — and Getting Bigger

• 50.1 million people in the UK are tuning in every week — that’s up 0.4% from last year.

• Commercial radio is reaching 39.9 million weekly — flat on the quarter, but up from 39.6m YoY.

• It now holds an 8.5 million listener lead over the BBC, with a commanding 54.9% share vs the BBC’s 43.1%.

This isn’t a short-term spike. It’s long-term momentum...

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The Digital Shift Is Real — and Commercial Is Leading It

Digital listening now accounts for 73% of all radio consumption. Let that sink in.

• DAB remains the most-used platform (42.1%), but online listening is quickly catching up at 28.5%.

• Analogue (AM/FM) continues its slow fade, now at just 26.7%.

• Smart speaker listening is up again, hitting 17.6% of all listening hours — a 1.5pp increase on the quarter.

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Crucially, commercial radio is leading this shift:

• Online listening now makes up 32.3% of all commercial radio listening.

• Smart speaker use for commercial stations rose to 21.4%, up YoY from 20.7%.

Platforms like Global Player and Rayo are doing what they were built to do — capturing listeners in new places and holding onto them.

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Heart Takes the Crown

Heart now officially overtakes BBC Radio 2 as the UK’s biggest radio brand, reaching a staggering 13.4 million listeners.

It’s a symbolic shift — a commercial brand at the top of the table, driven by cross-channel promotion, digital distribution, and brand consistency.

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Brand Highlights

Other winners this quarter include:

• talkSPORT Network hits a new high: 3.9 million

• Absolute Country +9.8% to 670,000

• Smooth Country +11.7% to 411,000

• Smooth 70s up 10% in reach and doubles listening hours

• Radio X Chilled jumps 22% to 157,000

• Times Radio sees record reach and hours

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Planning Opportunities: The Ups & Downs

With planning systems yet to update, there's a short window to capitalise:

 The Ups — Book Before It Balances

Stations increasing hours by 15%+ can offer strong ROI right now:

• Smooth 70s

• Radio X Chilled

• Absolute Country

• Times Radio

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The Downs — Pause and Replan

Stations with 15%+ decreases in hours may not currently justify rate card pricing. Hold off where possible and replan post-update.

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So What Does This Mean?

It’s further confirmation that commercial radio is winning the long game — not just in numbers, but in relevance.

Audiences are listening differently. They’re switching to smart speakers, to streaming platforms, to on-demand content. And commercial broadcasters are already there, meeting them with the right infrastructure, the right content, and a relentless focus on brand reach. This isn’t about traditional vs digital anymore — it’s about who’s evolving fast enough to keep the audience engaged.

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