Radio listening has continued to grow, with total weekly listening now standing at 51 million people, representing a 2% year-on-year increase and setting a new record for the medium.
Digital listening continues its upward trajectory. Online listening increased to 30.8% of total listening, up from 29.7% in Q3 2025, significantly ahead of AM/FM listening, which accounts for 23.6% of total listening.
Smart speakers remain an important driver of digital consumption, representing 18.7% of all radio listening.
Radiocentre’s CEO Matt Payton says “Radio’s record-breaking reach proves that audio remains an essential part of daily life for millions of people across the UK.”
The BBC’s combined market share fell from 42.6% to 41.9%, despite its weekly audience remaining broadly stable at just over 31 million.
OBSERVATIONS THIS QUARTER
Nation Broadcasting has recorded a 38% increase in weekly reach in the latest RAJAR figures, and adds over two million hours in a single quarter.
BBC Local Radio in England saw weekly reach decline from 4.690 million to 4.425 million, a fall of 5.7%. However, total listening hours increased slightly from 32.5 million to 32.6 million, suggesting those remaining with the stations are listening for longer.
STV Radio’s second survey shows a very slight loss from 139,000 to 131,000 but average hours increased from 9 to 11, and up from 1.2 to 1.4 million hours. Graham Bryce, MD of STV Radio said: “We’re thrilled that STV Radio has the most loyal listeners across the top 10 commercial radio stations, with people spending on average 11 hours a week with us. This tells us that listeners aren’t just trying the station, they’re coming back and making us part of their routine. For a station that only launched in January, that’s hugely encouraging.”
Rebranded KISS has recorded a drop this quarter of 5%, but has enjoyed a 29% year-on-year increase, sticking around the 1.7m mark.
Lyca Radio has increased its weekly reach above Sunrise for the first time in London – an achievement Raj Baddhan, Chief Executive Officer of Lyca Radio Network, is pleased about: “We have made history today. After 12 years of broadcasting, Lyca Radio has officially become London’s No.1 Asian commercial radio station. This is a hugely proud moment for us, and a testament to the dedication, hard work and commitment of my incredible team.”
GB News Radio, whose parent company is launching a music station next month, lost 99,000 listeners this quarter but recorded 5.5 million weekly listening hours, the highest in its history and up 13.3% year-on-year. Average hours per listener rose to an all-time high of 8.7, up 22.5% year-on-year from 7.1 hours and 17.6% quarter-on-quarter.
Radio X Chilled increased weekly reach by 46% to 162,000, with total listening hours more than quadrupling from 98,000 to 408,000.
Smooth Soul grew its audience by 40% to 278,000, although average listening hours declined from 4.7 to 3.2.
Classic FM Calm also recorded growth, increasing its audience by 30% to 465,000, while Heart 10s rose 27% to 391,000.
Sara Cox’s new Radio 2 Breakfast Show, which launched during the survey period, reaches 6.4 million listeners, with the BBC reporting a 4% year-on-year increase.
Vernon Kay continues to host the UK’s most listened-to radio programme, on BBC Radio 2, reaching 6.8 million weekly listeners.
BBC
Radio 1 has 8.23 million (10+) listeners across the brand, stable from the same figure last quarter. Greg James has 4.12 million (10+) listeners for Radio 1’s Breakfast Show, up from 4.06 million last quarter.
Radio 1 Anthems has grown to 700,000 (10+), up from 620,000 last quarter, and 433,000 the quarter before that.
Aled Haydn Jones (Head of BBC Radio 1) said: “I’m so happy to see more listeners to Radio 1 and Greg James on the Breakfast Show this summer, and really pleased to see Radio 1 Dance and Radio 1 Anthems finding their own audience as well. Well done to all the DJs who make Radio 1 a home for young people across the country.”
BBC Radio 2 remains the UK’s most listened-to individual radio station with 12.7 million weekly listeners, up 2% on the quarter.
BBC Radio 3 has increased its audience by 9% year-on-year to almost two million weekly listeners. Radio 3 Unwind reaches 382,000 listeners, while Radio 3 Breakfast attracts 805,000.
BBC Radio 4 remains the UK’s most listened-to speech radio station with 8.7 million weekly listeners, while the Today programme reaches 5.5 million. Average listening has increased to more than 12 hours per listener each week.
BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast has recorded an 8% quarterly increase and 13% year-on-year growth, reaching more than 1.4 million listeners. The BBC attributes the performance partly to its coverage of the FIFA World Cup and major political stories.
BBC Radio 6 Music reaches 2.6 million weekly listeners, with Nick Grimshaw’s Breakfast Show attracting 1.3 million.
BBC Local Radio recorded audience increases at 12 of its 37 stations, while 24 saw a decline and one remained unchanged. BBC Radio Derby recorded a 23% increase in weekly reach, while BBC Radio Merseyside grew by 22%. However, BBC Radio Leicester lost 27% of its audience, BBC Radio Gloucestershire fell 26%, BBC Radio Cornwall declined 23% and BBC Radio Tees was down 21%.
BBC Radio Berkshire recorded one of the strongest increases in listening duration, with total hours rising 91% from 175,000 to 334,000. Its weekly reach increased 15% to 70,000, while market share rose from 1.2% to 2.1%.
BBC Radio Wiltshire experienced a particularly significant reduction in listening, with total hours halving from 605,000 to 301,000. Its average listening fell from 10.4 to 6.6 hours per listener, while market share declined from 4.1% to 2.2%.
GLOBAL
Global has reported record listening hours in the latest figures, with its portfolio reaching 29.1 million weekly listeners and generating 289 million listening hours. The company says its market share has reached 28%, with growth in reach, hours and share compared with the previous quarter.
Heart remains the UK’s biggest radio brand with more than 13 million weekly listeners, putting it 355,000 ahead of the single BBC Radio 2 station. Nine of the 24 Heart stations increased weekly reach, 13 recorded declines and two remained unchanged.
Capital has increased its audience to 9.1 million, more than 1.5 million ahead of the BBC Radio 1 brand. The brand recorded increases at 11 of its 17 stations, with five losing listeners and one remaining unchanged.
Seven of Global’s digital stations have recorded their highest audiences to date, including Classic FM Calm with 465,000 listeners, Heart 10s with 391,000, Smooth 70s with 359,000 and Heart Love with 294,000. Radio X 90s has reached 275,000 weekly listeners, while Smooth Country has 509,000.
LBC News has increased its weekly reach by 7.2% year-on-year to 1.1 million, with total listening hours up 17.9%. Global also reports that its main LBC presenters have recorded year-on-year growth in both reach and listening hours.
Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden remains the UK’s biggest commercial breakfast show with four million weekly listeners, while Capital Breakfast with Jordan, Chris and Siân reaches 2.7 million and has increased its reach, hours and share year-on-year.
Smooth Radio recorded audience growth at 10 of its 18 stations, while seven saw a decline and one remained unchanged. Smooth Radio Solent increased its weekly reach by 27%, while Smooth Radio Thames Valley grew by 20%. Nationally, Smooth reaches 7.5 million listeners.
In London, Global has the top four commercial radio stations for reach with Heart, Capital, LBC, and Smooth.
Global also has the top four commercial radio stations in London for both share and listening hours with LBC, Heart, Capital, and Classic FM.
James Rea, Chief Content Officer at Global, said: “It’s brilliant to see Heart, Capital and Smooth are the top three commercial radio brands in the UK. There’s also impressive growth for some of our newer stations such as Classic FM Calm which is celebrating record numbers.”
Simon Pitts, Group CEO at Global, added: “Thank you to every Globaller who makes this possible, and to our listeners and advertisers for their continued support.”
BAUER
Bauer Media Audio UK has reported a combined weekly audience of 22.9 million across its stations and partners, with growth for the Absolute Radio, Hits Radio and Magic Radio networks during the quarter.
The Hits Radio Portfolio, comprising Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio, reaches 12.2 million weekly listeners, increasing to 14.5 million when partner stations are included.
Greatest Hits Radio has an audience of 6.8 million, with its 80s spin-off reaching a record 644,000 listeners, up 12.6% year-on-year. Ken Bruce remains the most listened-to commercial radio programme in the UK, according to Bauer, ahead of Zoe Ball’s first audience figures arriving next quarter.
Greatest Hits Radio saw weekly reach increase at 18 out of 56 services, while 34 recorded falls and four remained unchanged. Among the largest declines were Berkshire and North Hampshire, down 30%, while Cambridgeshire, Coventry and Warwickshire, and Northamptonshire all lost 22% of their audiences. Greatest Hits Radio Somerset also fell by 20%.
Hits Radio recorded a more positive set of results, with 21 of its 39 stations increasing weekly reach and 18 recording declines. Hits Radio Surrey and East Hampshire achieved a 63% increase, while Peterborough, Stamford and Rutland grew 29%, Gloucestershire rose 24%, West of England increased 22% and Kent gained 21%. However, Bucks, Beds and Herts lost 38% of its audience, while South Coast fell 25% and Sussex declined 23%.
Nationally, the Hits Radio Network reaches 6.6 million listeners, with Hits Radio 90s and Hits Radio 00s recording their highest audiences to date, up 31% and 33% year-on-year respectively. The Absolute Radio Network has increased its audience to 5.5 million, while Absolute Radio 00s has reached a record 582,000 listeners, up 22% year-on-year.
KISS has recorded a 29% year-on-year increase in weekly reach following its relaunch earlier this year, taking its audience to 1.7 million. The KISS Breakfast show with Tyler West and Chloe Burrows has also grown by 29% over the same period. The wider KISS Network reaches 3.9 million listeners, up 12% year-on-year, while KISSTORY attracts 1.9 million and KISS XTRA has grown 4.2% to 301,000.
Elsewhere, the Magic Radio Network reaches 3.4 million weekly listeners, with the main Magic station growing 4.2% quarter-on-quarter to 2.3 million. Planet Rock reaches 1.2 million listeners, up 7.9% year-on-year, while Kerrang! Radio has increased its audience by 12.7% to 646,000.
Locally, Hits Radio Cornwall increased its total listening hours by 80%, while Hits Radio Bucks, Beds and Herts experienced a 70% reduction.
However, Greatest Hits Radio Black Country and Shropshire increased total listening hours by 79%, with average listening rising from 4.3 to 7.8 hours per listener.
Bauer also reports growth across KISS’s social media platforms, with views increasing 35% year-on-year, including a doubling of YouTube views and a 78% increase on Instagram.
Gary Stein, Director of Audio at Bauer Media Audio UK, said, “It’s been a great quarter across the portfolio. KISS has had a brilliant year since its relaunch, and Tyler and Chloe have made Breakfast fun, unpredictable and genuinely part of their listeners’ mornings. It’s also great to see so many of our other brands growing, from the Hits Radio, Absolute Radio and Magic Radio Networks to Planet Rock. That’s down to talented presenters and teams who know their audiences inside out, so a big thank you to everyone on air and behind the scenes.”
NATION
The Q3 2026 results show Nation Broadcasting Group growing from 1.268 million to 1.748 million weekly listeners, with total listening hours increasing 29% to 9.3 million.
Nation 90s also stormed ahead with its best ever hours of 546,000, almost double the previous quarter. Nation Radio Wales also had a good survey, up to 204,000 weekly reach across Wales.
However, the group’s newest purchase, More Radio, sees its combined audience decline 37%, from 54,000 to 34,000, with total listening hours falling 42% and market share reducing from 7.5% to 4.3%.
Nation Radio Sussex recorded one of the biggest percentage increases among individual stations, with weekly reach rising 150% from 20,000 to 50,000. Total listening hours increased from 81,000 to 331,000, while market share grew from 0.3% to 1.3%.
Swansea Bay Radio increased its audience by 71% to 36,000, while Nation Radio Scotland, excluding the West, grew 69% to 49,000.
Nation’s Founder Jason Bryant said: “After a period of significant investment, Nation has enjoyed rapid progress, powering from under 6 million weekly listening hours at the start of 2025 to more than 9.3 million today.”
NEWS BROADCASTING
News Broadcasting has reported 6.5 million weekly listeners across its portfolio, generating 43.8 million listening hours. The group, which includes talkSPORT, Times Radio, Virgin Radio UK, Talk and U105, says 87% of its listening now takes place on digital platforms.
The talkSPORT Network recorded its highest-ever listening hours following its coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, reaching 24.9 million hours, up 8.4% year-on-year. Weekly reach increased 11.1% to 3.8 million, with record audiences for talkSPORT Breakfast at 1.5 million, White and Jordan at 1.3 million and Hawksbee and Jacobs at 1.2 million.
Times Radio has increased its weekly audience by 10% year-on-year to 619,000, while listening hours rose 14% to 5.5 million. The station also reported record audiences for several programmes, including Early Breakfast, Ed Vaizey’s Friday morning show, Jane Mulkerrins on Saturday lunchtime and Carole Walker on weekday evenings. Times Radio has also expanded its visual output with a dedicated studio and continuous live stream on YouTube.
Talk recorded 497,000 weekly listeners and 4.1 million listening hours, while the Virgin Radio UK Network increased its audience by 3.8% quarter-on-quarter to 1.9 million. Virgin’s stations generated 7.4 million listening hours, with the broadcaster also reporting more than 180 million social video views during the first six months of 2026.
In Northern Ireland, U105 increased its weekly audience in Greater Belfast by almost 7% year-on-year, from 187,000 to 200,000. Across Northern Ireland, its audience increased from 224,000 to 228,000.
You can see all of the latest figures in our easy to view charts at RadioToday.co.uk/rajar, and see more words over on websites by Matt Deegan and Adam Bowie.
Comparisons are quarter-on-quarter unless specified.
