Heart is now the UK’s biggest radio brand, with 13.4 million listeners, overtaking BBC Radio 2, which now has 13.1 million, according to the latest RAJAR report.
The latest figures for Q1 2025 show continued growth in digital listening, varying fortunes for BBC and commercial operators, and strong performances from niche and nostalgic formats.
Commercial radio now leads with 54.9 percent of total listening hours, while the BBC has declined to 45.1 percent. This shift continues a trend seen over the last few years, driven by the growth of commercial brands and increasing digital consumption.
Online and smart speaker radio listening have hit record levels demonstrating changing listening habits as more people opt to tune in via connected devices like laptops, mobile phones and smart speakers.
Total online listening to all radio has reached a record high of 28.5%. As part of that, smart speaker listening has also hit record levels, now accounting for 17.6% of total listening, up from 16.6% in the same quarter of 2024.
Commercial radio listeners are at the forefront of this shift, as online now accounts for almost a third of all commercial radio listening, rising to 32.3% from 32.1% in Q1 2024. Listening via smart speakers also continues to climb, reaching 21.4%, which is up year-on-year from 20.7% in Q1 2024.
The strongest percentage increase in weekly reach belongs to Heart Musicals, which increased by 61 percent, from 134,000 to 216,000 listeners. Even more notably, it saw a 318 percent rise in total hours, reaching 1,054,000 from just 252,000 the previous quarter. This suggests a combination of new listeners and dramatically improved engagement.
Another station showing considerable growth is Smooth 70s, which doubled its listening hours from 816,000 to 1,675,000 — a 105 percent increase. Weekly reach also rose from 317,000 to 346,000.
LBC News (London) grew its hours by 87 percent (from 1.04 million to 1.95 million), while weekly reach increased from 373,000 to 410,000, up 10 percent. This implies increasing appetite for rolling news content.
Capital XTRA (London) also enjoyed a strong quarter, with a 12 percent rise in reach (up from 621,000 to 693,000) and a 17 percent rise in total hours.
talkSPORT2 experienced a 25 percent jump in weekly reach and a 14 percent boost in total hours, reflecting growing interest in its specialist sports content.
Music nostalgia also played well, as Boom Radio grew its total hours by 27 percent — from 7.5 million to 9.6 million — despite a slight dip in reach. This points to a deepening loyalty from existing listeners.
Other strong performers in terms of weekly reach include:
- KISS (+407,000, up 38%)
- Classic FM Calm (+52,000, up 22%)
- Radio X Chilled (+28,000, up 22%)
- Smooth Chill (+76,000, up 17%)
- Capital XTRA Reloaded (+486,000 hours, +28%)
Several Greatest Hits Radio local services also had a strong quarter. For example:
- GHR West of England grew weekly reach by 58 percent (from 126,000 to 184,000) and total hours by 152 percent (from 835,000 to 2.1 million).
- GHR Norfolk rose 27 percent in reach and 44 percent in hours.
- GHR South Coast added 640,000 hours (+22%).
- GHR Sheffield saw total hours rise by 47 percent (from 832,000 to 1.22 million).
These gains reflect a broader trend of growing popularity for stations targeting listeners aged 45+, with classic hits, news and focused speech radio performing particularly well.
BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra had the steepest decline in weekly reach, down 51 percent (from 1.19 million to 583,000). Its total hours dropped by 67 percent, from 3.05 million to 1 million — likely linked to changes in sports rights or scheduling.
Kiss Dance also saw dramatic losses, with weekly reach falling 74 percent to just 184,000 and total hours down 72 percent to 336,000.
Other significant declines include:
- XS Manchester, with a 14 percent drop in both reach and hours.
- Heart Hertfordshire, with reach down 46 percent.
- Centreforce, which halved its audience from 215,000 to 95,000.
- Smooth Radio Essex, with hours down 43 percent.
Notably, Capital stations had a mixed quarter. While the brand saw regional successes in areas such as Brighton and Scotland, major city stations underperformed:
- Capital London dropped 74,000 in weekly reach and lost 1.2 million listening hours.
- Capital Yorkshire lost 91,000 listeners and 759,000 hours.
- Capital Manchester dropped 26,000 listeners and 394,000 hours.
Virgin Radio also declined across all its services. The flagship station dropped 32,000 listeners and 763,000 hours, while the network as a whole was down 862,000 hours.
Island FM in Guernsey grows its weekly audience to 31,000 adults – the highest since 2020 and an 18% year-on-year increase.
The growth in weekly listeners has powered Island FM’s market share to 40.2% – the biggest of any station – BBC or commercial – in the British Isles.
Across the water, sister station Channel 103 in Jersey has maintained its market leadership and grown its weekly listening hours to 8.3 person and market share to 24.8% . 54 % of the island’s population now tune in every week – the highest reach percentage of any station in RAJAR survey.
Original 106 has its second highest ever RAJAR, something which Robin Galloway, Group Head of Presentation, is proud of. “Our weekly reach is up to 96,000 – our second highest ever – with total listening hours at a healthy 799,000. That’s a clear reflection of the connection we’ve built with our listeners who continue to respond to our strong local community approach, our engaging presenters, and of course, our commitment to Always Your Favourite Music.”
Across the BBC portfolio, flagship networks experienced mixed results.
BBC Radio 2, still the UK’s most listened-to station, lost 539,000 listeners and 9.3 million hours. BBC Radio 1 fell by 144,000 listeners and 1.5 million hours.
The steepest percentage fall was BBC Radio 1Xtra, down 13 percent in total hours and 7 percent in reach. BBC 6 Music declined by 1.6 million hours.
In contrast, BBC Radio 3 saw a 10 percent rise in reach and a 7 percent rise in hours. It’s now back above 2m weekly reach, and its highest in a long time. Radio 4 Extra posted a 15 percent rise in listening hours and a 3 percent gain in weekly reach. BBC Radio 5 live gained 35,000 listeners and 1.6 million hours.
Local BBC Radio continues to face challenges. BBC London lost 61,000 listeners — a 13 percent fall — and 782,000 hours (down 40%). Other local stations such as BBC Somerset, BBC Wiltshire, and BBC Northampton posted double-digit percentage drops in reach and hours.
Some local services did well:
- BBC Cumbria saw hours rise 30 percent.
- BBC Sheffield gained 16,000 listeners and 47 percent more hours.
- BBC Suffolk rose 52 percent in hours.
These examples highlight that while the BBC network shows resilience in national programming, many local stations remain under pressure.
Several themes emerge from the Q1 2025 figures:
1. Specialist and themed stations are rising
Stations with clearly defined formats and focused identities — such as Heart Musicals, Smooth 70s, Capital XTRA Reloaded and LBC News — are achieving standout results.
2. Regional successes are masking network challenges
Large brand networks like Heart, Smooth, Capital and Greatest Hits all showed overall strength, but this often masks local volatility. Heart and GHR both had stations with double-digit increases and others with steep losses. Local execution and market conditions differ.
3. Older audiences are spending more time listening
Classic hits and news-led services performed especially well, with older listeners helping drive growth in total hours. Stations like Boom Radio, Greatest Hits, and BBC Radio 3 are examples of this pattern.
4. News and speech content holds value
LBC News, Times Radio, and GB News Radio all saw meaningful increases, especially in total hours. This suggests a sustained demand for news-driven formats, particularly in uncertain political and economic conditions.
5. Digital spin-offs perform inconsistently
While some stations like Heart 90s and Smooth Chill are growing well, others — such as Heart 80s and Capital Dance — are trending down. The crowded DAB landscape means only those with distinct appeal are standing out.
Across the groups, here are the headlines:
Global
Global remains the UK’s largest commercial group. Heart reached 13.4 million listeners and Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden is now the biggest commercial breakfast show. Capital grew to 9.4 million. Classic FM reached 4.7 million, and Radio X posted its highest ever reach at 2.5 million. LBC reached 3.3 million with LBC News growing beyond 1 million listeners.
Bauer
Bauer now serves 23.4 million weekly listeners. Greatest Hits Radio reached 7.5 million and Rossie’s Breakfast show reached 3.1 million. Absolute Radio Network hit 5.6 million with Absolute Radio Country up 71 percent. Magic Radio reached 3.6 million, and Magic at the Musicals reached a record 327,000 listeners. KISSTORY remained the UK’s most listened to digital-only station.
Nation Broadcasting
Nation Broadcasting now reaches 1.328 million weekly listeners with a 26 percent year-on-year rise in total hours to 5.857 million. Nation 80s hit 519,000 listeners. Nation South dropped to 130,000 from 144,000 last quarter, but is up year on year. Nation Radio Yorkshire saw a 40 percent rise in total hours. Dragon Radio Wales reached a record 393,000 hours.
News Broadcasting
TalkSPORT reached a record 3.9 million weekly listeners. TalkSPORT2 rose to 676,000. Times Radio reached 622,000 listeners and 5 million listening hours, both record highs. Virgin Radio UK now has 2.1 million listeners, with Virgin Radio Legends posting 1.4 million listening hours. Talk reached 485,000 listeners and U105 in Northern Ireland reached 201,000.
And here are your quotes!
Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2 said: “In a quarter which saw Radio 2 launch a new daytime schedule in late January, host some of the world’s most loved musicians in the Piano Room throughout February, and celebrate country music in March, I’m thrilled that Radio 2 remains the UK’s most popular radio station with 13.11m listeners each week. Congratulations to Vernon Kay who remains the most listened to show in the country with a weekly audience of 6.73m to his mid-morning show, and to the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, which maintains its position as the UK’s biggest early morning programme with 6.5m listeners.’
Aled Haydn Jones, Head of BBC Radio 1, said: “We are so pleased to see increases for both Radio 1 and Greg James, showing that our curation and incredible DJs are as essential now as they’ve ever been. We remain laser focused across all our platforms on delivering new music and celebrating pop culture across the UK.”
Ashley Tabor-King CBE, Founder & Executive President of Global, said: “Global has been lucky enough to have the top 3 commercial radio brands in the UK for some time. Today, after over 18 years of hard work from our team and huge loyalty from our incredible listeners, Heart overtakes Radio 2 as the UK’s largest radio brand, making Heart the biggest in the UK overall. It’s a huge moment. I’m incredibly humbled, and grateful to every single Globaller and listener that’s made this possible. May we continue to turn up the feel good and make everyone’s day brighter for many years to come. Commercial radio in the UK is so buoyant right now, with quality broadcasting that means listeners have more choice than ever before. We are truly in the golden era of commercial radio broadcasting, and so we’re exceptionally grateful to have reached this landmark moment with Heart. Congratulations to the entire team!”
James Rea, Chief Broadcasting & Content Officer at Global, said: “What a moment it is for a commercial radio brand to be the most popular in the UK. I couldn’t be more proud of the team at Heart for all their hard work, and it’s so fantastic to see it come through in these results. Radio in the UK is thriving and it’s brilliant that Global’s brands are driving the growth. I’d like to take a moment to say a massive thank you to everyone who has helped us reach the highest market share in our history.”
Simon Myciunka, CEO for Bauer Media Audio UK said, “Our audio brands continue to captivate millions of listeners every week, showcasing our commitment to excellence and innovation. As Bauer celebrates its 150th year, we look to the future with a steadfast focus on enhancing our products, increasing investment to strengthen audience engagement and creating gold-standard opportunities for our commercial partners.”
Gary Stein, Director of Audio for Bauer Media Audio UK said, “In a quarter where we continue to invest in our brands and talent, it’s brilliant to see our new lineup on Magic Radio already attracting new listeners—on the very day we launch a brand-new nationwide marketing campaign for the station. There’s also great news for the UK’s most listened-to commercial radio station, Greatest Hits Radio, as the network posts its highest-ever hours and share. A huge thank you to all our teams for the care and effort that goes into making our stations the soundtrack to our listeners’ lives—each and every day.”
News UK EVP, President of Broadcasting, Scott Taunton, said: “Record audiences for both talkSPORT and Times Radio attest to the fact that both stations are absolute destinations for their highly engaged and growing audiences. It’s worth noting also that News Broadcasting’s roster of national brands, including Virgin Radio UK and Talk, remain at the vanguard of digital broadcasting – driving rich connected listening, and meeting their audiences where they are – on social channels and streaming services, as well on digital audio platforms.”
Nation’s founder Jason Bryant said; “These record numbers come following sustained investment in our platforms and our content. With streaming numbers at an all-time high, Nation has strong foundations to further build its business.”
Boom Radio CEO Phil Riley said: “We have always had faith that our listeners would stay with us throughout the turmoil of the last 18 months or so and these numbers demonstrate that so clearly. We have incredible loyalty from an increasing band of fans aged 55 and over who love great music, and we are thrilled with the results today and want to thank our listeners for their support.”
Radiocentre CEO Matt Payton says: “These latest figures are a testament to how broadcasters have embraced innovation to keep radio strong and relevant. By ensuring content is available and accessible across connected devices, radio has continued to thrive and remains a vital part of people’s daily lives. In turn, this means radio can continue to help advertisers reach huge audiences in a trusted environment.”