Record breaking audiences for commercial radio as listeners surge past 40 million

Commercial radio’s audience in the UK has surpassed 40 million for the first time, reaching a record-breaking 40.5 million weekly listeners. This new milestone breaks the previous record of 39.7 million set in Q1 2024.

The new RAJAR listening figures released today (1st August) for the second quarter of 2024 also show that the combined weekly audience for all radio in the UK is at a new high with 50.8 million adults tuning in to their favourite stations each week, up from its previous record of 49.9 million in Q1 2024.

Commercial radio continues to lead the market, with a record listening share of 55% compared to the BBC’s 42.6%. This marks a significant increase from the same period two years ago when commercial radio’s share was 49% (Q2 2022).

For all radio, smart speaker listening continues to grow and now accounts for 17% of total listening, an 18% increase year-on-year.

Smart speaker listening on commercial radio continues to drive this growth, now at 20.8%, up from 17.4% compared to the same period last year.

Radiocentre’s CEO Matt Payton said:

“It’s great to see these record-breaking figures confirm that commercial radio is reaching over 40 million listeners for the first time. These excellent results are a reflection of the investment and innovation in our sector. This increase in listeners, alongside last week’s industry forecasts predicting improved revenue growth for the sector, mean the outlook for the year ahead is exceptionally positive for advertisers.”