Global is launching its own pay-to-remove-ads service via Global Player, charging listeners to hear almost any of their stations without commercials.
The new Radio Plus subscription retains presenters, news, travel, competitions, listener calls and interviews while removing advertising from Global’s UK music services.
Radio Plus covers live output, Replay and Catch Up across the group’s UK music portfolio, alongside ad free Catch Up programmes from LBC and LBC News. It costs £9.99 a month or £99.99 a year.
Listeners can alternatively subscribe to one music brand family through Brand Plus for £4.99 a month or £49.99 a year. For example, Heart Plus includes Heart UK and its decade, dance, love, musicals and Christmas stations.
LBC Catch Up Plus provides ad free Catch Up from LBC and LBC News at the same price, although its live and Replay services continue to include advertising.
Subscriptions are available through Global Player, with access also offered through connected cars, linked Alexa devices and Apple TV.
Subscribers receive additional benefits including priority access to events, weekly competition entries, presenter newsletters and merchandise discounts.
Ashley Tabor King CBE, Founder and Executive President of Global, told RadioToday: “Radio Plus gives listeners a new way to enjoy the stations they love: live, energetic radio with the sense of time, place, occasion and curation only live radio delivers, but with more music and no commercial breaks.”
Ashley added that Global Player would remain free, with the existing streams, FM and DAB services continuing to carry advertising.
The service forms part of Global’s wider subscription range, which also includes paid podcast packages and YouTube channel memberships.
