The latest RAJAR Q4 2024 figures are in, revealing the UK’s evolving radio landscape. From record-breaking commercial radio growth to surging digital listenership, we’re diving into the standout stats and trends shaping the industry.
The latest RAJAR Q4 2024 figures have landed, providing an updated snapshot of the UK’s radio listening habits from 16th September to 15th December 2024. As we head into 2025, the latest trends reveal a continued surge in commercial radio, digital listening hitting new milestones, and some surprising shifts in the market.
So, who’s tuning in? What stations are winning the battle for ears? And what does this mean for brands looking to connect with their audiences through radio? Let’s dive into the standout statistics shaping the UK’s radio landscape.
– All Radio reach remains strong at 87%, engaging 50.3 million listeners weekly.
– Commercial Radio continues to thrive, reaching 40 million weekly listeners—8.2 million more than BBC Radio.
– Commercial Radio’s share has increased to 53.9%, surpassing the BBC’s 44.2%.
With digital platforms surging, new station launches, and an increasingly competitive breakfast radio battle, it’s an exciting time for the UK radio industry.
Global Radio remains the dominant force in the UK commercial radio market, reaching a record-breaking 29.2 million weekly listeners. This milestone marks six consecutive quarters of growth, solidifying Global’s grip on the sector.
– Heart saw a surge to 13.3 million listeners, adding 306,000 new weekly listeners and increasing total listening hours by 747,000.
– This growth is largely thanks to Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden, which remains the UK’s most popular commercial breakfast show with 4.2 million weekly listeners.
– Capital maintained its record Q3 audience, keeping 9.7 million weekly listeners engaged.
– Its wider network—including Capital XTRA, Capital Dance, and the newly launched Capital Anthems—continues to expand its reach.
– Smooth Radio posted a 2.3% increase in weekly listeners, bringing its audience to 7.8 million.
LBC continues to strengthen its listener loyalty, with its audience tuning in for longer periods:
– Total listening hours rose by 1.3% to over 32 million.
– Nick Ferrari’s Breakfast Show remains London’s #1 commercial breakfast show, attracting 1.5 million weekly listeners.
As talk radio continues to be a powerful space for audience engagement, LBC’s dominance in this sector shows no signs of slowing down.
– The Absolute Radio Network remains a strong contender with 5.6 million listeners—a 6% year-on-year increase.
– Absolute Radio itself saw an 8% growth, reaching 2.14 million listeners.
– Meanwhile, Hits Radio maintained its solid weekly reach of 7.2 million.
– The station added 0.6% to its reach, continuing its impressive upward trajectory.
– Rossie at Breakfast broke records, surpassing 3 million listeners for the first time.
News and talk stations have seen some of the most significant audience increases this quarter.
– LBC (UK) held steady in weekly reach, but total listening hours increased by 3%, with listeners tuning in for an average of 11.1 hours per week.
– Times Radio saw significant growth, with an 8% increase in reach this quarter, and a 23% year-on-year surge, now delivering to 604,000 listeners.
– talkSPORT2 had a stellar quarter, growing its reach by 26%, reaching 541,000 listeners, a 36% year-on-year increase.
Digital platforms continue to dominate with 44 million adults now tuning into radio via DAB, DTV, online, or smart speakers. 72% of listening hours are consumed digitally, and 28% of listeners tune in online.
The nation’s love for musical theatre continues to soar, with Magic at the Musicals growing by 12.9% to 298,000 weekly listeners. Other notable increases include:
– Smooth 80s leading the digital revival with the highest reach among Smooth’s digital stations.
– Heart 80s grew by 7%, adding nearly half a million hours.
– Heart Dance saw a huge 17% increase in listening hours, totaling 4.8 million.
Several new digital stations made their debut in Q4 2024. Here are some of their reach figures:
– Capital Anthems – 440,000
– Smooth 70s – 317,000
– Heart 10s – 292,000
The continued success of genre-specific stations highlights the increasing trend of niche, personalised listening experiences.
London remains a fiercely competitive market, but Heart London has claimed victory as the capital’s most popular commercial station.
– 2.1 million weekly listeners (+9%)
– 17% increase in total listening hours
– Jamie & Amanda’s Breakfast Show attracts 830,000 Londoners every morning.
– LBC London secured the highest commercial share (8.2%) and 15.7 million listening hours.
– Greatest Hits Radio London saw a 16% rise in total listening hours, now reaching 6 million hours per week.
Beyond London, regional stations have also seen standout performances:
– Heart Scotland grew its weekly reach by 12% to 432,000, with listening hours up 23%.
– Gold Cambridgeshire saw a 12.1% increase in listeners, reaching 37,000 with the longest listening time across the network (7.1 hours per listener).
– Capital Brighton recorded a huge 29.4% increase in total listening hours.
– Capital Lancashire & Capital Manchester combined their reach, growing by 10% to 637,000 listeners.
RAJAR’s Q4 2024 results have reinforced radio’s enduring strength, particularly in the commercial and digital spaces.
– Commercial Radio now dominates UK listening with a 53.9% market share.
– Digital-first stations continue to grow, providing more targeted advertising opportunities.
– Audiences remain highly engaged, with increased listening hours across multiple formats.
For brands, radio remains one of the most effective ways to reach and engage audiences. Whether through linear radio, digital stations, or programmatic advertising, the opportunities to connect with listeners have never been stronger.
If your brand is looking to harness the power of radio advertising, get in touch with the Bonded team today!
For more insights and predictions on the evolving radio landscape in 2025 and beyond, check out our 2025 Future Trends Report.
