Exactly 50 million adults across the UK are listening to the radio each week, according to the latest RAJAR figures for Q4, 2025.
Between them, the total average number of weekly hours listened to radio for this quarter is 1.015 billion hours.
The latest RAJAR figures show commercial radio held a 55.2 percent share of all listening during the quarter, up from 53.9 percent a year earlier. This compares with 42.8 percent for the BBC, meaning commercial radio now reaches around 8.5 million more listeners.
The data also underlines continued shifts in how audiences access radio. Online listening across all radio reached a new high of 29.8 percent, moving further ahead of AM and FM listening at 25.4 percent.
Smart speakers continue to play a growing role. Across all radio, listening via smart speakers now represents 18.5 percent of total hours, up from 16.1 percent year on year. Commercial radio’s share is higher still at 22.2 percent, exceeding its AM and FM share, which now stands at 19.7 percent.
Radiocentre chief executive Matt Payton said: “It’s great to see commercial radio’s share remaining strong again this quarter, with audiences tuning in for longer. It’s also encouraging to see record breaking numbers for online listening, reflecting the fact that listeners are increasingly choosing to access their favourite radio brands across multiple platforms.”
Kate Phillips, BBC Chief Content Officer, said: “The BBC continues to be the number one radio brand and I’m delighted that audiences across the country are choosing to spend their day with our incredible roster of much-loved presenters.”
RadioToday’s RAJAR reporting compares quarter-on-quarter results (unless specified) for consistency, even though some stations only report half-yearly or yearly. We use a mixture of press releases and raw data from RAJAR to bring you our report each quarter. We also produce our own graphs, which you can view here in a new tab or window.
Scott Mills on BBC Radio 2 gets his best breakfast audience with an increase of 5% to 6.46m, but is still behind Vernon Kay’s mid-morning show, on 6.7m
Talk Radio and the talkSPORT stations get a nice increase in both reach and hours for Q4
LBC UK gets its best reach nationally with 3.4m weekly reach
Heart remains the UK biggest radio brand, reaching 12.71m each week and maintaining its lead over Radio 2 as a single station
Global’s spin-off decades stations took a tumble this quarter, with Smooth 80s the only one showing an increase
Classic FM Movies almost doubled its audience and increased its total hours by 169%
Heart Musicals saw a 37% increase in weekly reach and 89% increase in total hours
Heart East Midlands is back in RAJAR, reporting 172,000 listeners across Derbyshire, Leicester and Nottinghamshire
Capital North East sees an 18% spike quarter-on-quarter in weekly reach
Hits Radio 90s and 00s are continuing to rise, both up over 20% each
Heat and KISSTORY R&B are up, whilst KISSTORY and Kerrang! drop
Clyde 1 Ayrshire continues to decline following its rebrand – down from 47,000 to 36,000 listeners
Magic Classical is going down again following the loss of its Scala tag
Greatest Hits Radio drops back below 6m, but spin-offs are doing well, with GHR 70s up 29% reach
Hits Radio breakfast is down 20% in 12 months nationally (down 50% in London), whilst KISS Breakfast is up 20% in three months, as is Talk Breakfast
Boom stays roughly static this quarter but continues to grow annually
Original 106 has its highest reach, now over 100,000 listeners locally
Nation group is back to a million listeners, as it develops its regional presenter-led strategy for the Nation Radio brand
Nation Radio Dorset‘s debut figure gives it the highest average hours in the industry, at 20.8!
Nation Radio North-East, was Sun FM, gets its highest reach for the former Sunderland station at 94,000
All Virgin branded stations are down, 12% in total, with a group audience of under 2m, with Chris Evans Breakfast dropping again
CountryLine Radio has gone RAJAR national and added 35,000 extra listeners to 89k
In London, the heritage commercial giants all take a drop, Magic 105.4, Capital 95.8, Heart 106.2. Even Greatest Hits Radio on the former Absolute 105.8 frequency is down
Magic London from 1.1m to 981k
Capital London from 1.57m to 1.49m
Heart London from 1.84m to 1.58m
Greatest Hits Radio from 895k to 695k
Hits Radio is up from 530k to 554k, although down from 727k 12 months ago.
At Greatest Hits, there are 56 stations, with 18 up, four the same, and 34 down. Notable movements include Bucks, Beds, Herts up 25%, Coventry & Warwickshire up 36%, Gloustershire up 28%, Berks & Northamptonshire down 25%, Nothhants down 23%, and Peterborough, St’ford & Rutland down 34%.
Out of Hits Radio‘s 39 stations, 18 are up and 21 are down. Cambs is up 33%, Gloucestershire up 42%, NI up 35%, N Yorks up 37%, Berks & N Hampshire down 44%, Lincs down 27%, Surrey & E Hamps down 37%, and Swindon down 36%.
Around the 17 regional and local Capital stations, six are up and 11 are down. Capital Yorkshire is the biggest Capital outside London with 852,000 listeners.
At Heart, seven are up, three are the same, and 13 are down. We noticed Kent went up 22%, and London went down 14%.
And at Smooth around the UK, four are up, one is the same, and 13 went down, noticeably, Thames Valley lost 20% of its weekly reach. Smooth North West remains the biggest commercial radio station outside of London, with 1.2m listeners.
Across BBC Local‘s 37 stations (not including Guernsey or Jersey), 19 are up, 18 are down. Radio Humberside is up 23%, WM is up 47%, and Radio Cornwall is down 22%
BBC Radio 2 remains the UK’s most listened-to single station with a weekly reach of 12.7 million. Scott Mills continues to present the UK’s most listened-to breakfast show, attracting 6.5 million listeners, while Vernon Kay remains the most listened-to programme on UK radio with 6.7 million weekly listeners. Time spent listening to Radio 2 reached just over eleven hours per listener, the highest level recorded for the station in four years.
Strong gains were also recorded elsewhere. BBC Radio 3 increased its weekly audience to 1.91 million listeners, up six per cent on the previous quarter, with Radio 3 Breakfast up twenty-two per cent quarter-on-quarter. BBC Radio 1 reached 7.41 million listeners aged ten plus, with Greg James continuing to lead breakfast listening among younger audiences at 4.1 million.
Results were steadier for the BBC’s speech and news services. BBC Radio 5 Live held a weekly reach of 5.3 million listeners, while 5 Live Breakfast grew by sixteen per cent on the previous quarter and delivered the station’s highest listening hours in five years. BBC Radio 4 remained stable at just under nine million weekly listeners, while Radio 4 Extra increased its reach to 1.55 million. Across on-demand listening, BBC Sounds recorded its strongest quarter to date, with significant engagement across radio, podcasts and music mixes.
Aled Haydn Jones (Head of BBC Radio 1) said: “I’m very proud to have grown our share of young audiences and to remain the #1 youth station in the country. Greg continues to lead with the number 1 Breakfast Show for young listeners, and we remain focused on championing new music, new talent and distinctive content across all platforms.”
Global has extended its lead as the UK’s largest commercial radio group after posting record listening hours and share in the latest RAJAR figures for Q4 2025.
Global reports 288 million listening hours and a 28.3 per cent share, both the highest the company has recorded. Weekly reach stands at 29 million listeners, with commercial radio continuing to account for a larger share of listening than the BBC overall.
Heart remains the UK’s biggest radio brand with a weekly reach of 12.7 million listeners, ahead of BBC Radio 2. Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden continues to lead the commercial breakfast market, reaching 4.1 million listeners and growing both quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year.
Capital reaches 9.2 million listeners each week across the brand, retaining its position as the UK’s number one hit music station and remaining ahead of BBC Radio 1 for reach, hours and share. Capital Breakfast with Jordan, Chris and Siân now attracts 2.8 million listeners, up on the previous quarter, while Capital XTRA reaches 1.9 million listeners, more than 1.1 million ahead of BBC Radio 1Xtra.
LBC has delivered its strongest performance to date, with 3.4 million listeners across the brand and a record 2.8 million for LBC (UK). Nick Ferrari at Breakfast and James O’Brien each reach 1.4 million listeners, with increases in reach and listening hours this quarter.
Radio X reaches 2.5 million listeners, with The Chris Moyles Show attracting 1.1 million listeners, around 425,000 more than Chris Evans on Virgin Radio. Smooth reaches 7.5 million listeners, remaining the UK’s third biggest commercial radio brand.
In London, Global continues to dominate the commercial market, holding the top three stations by reach, hours and share with Heart, Capital and LBC, and leading the capital’s commercial breakfast audience.
Global Group CEO Simon Pitts said the figures show audiences are spending more time listening despite increased competition, pointing to continued growth across the company’s major brands and particularly strong performances from Heart, Capital and LBC.
James Rea, Global’s Chief Broadcasting and Content Officer, said live radio remains the biggest way audiences consume audio, adding that the results reflect sustained demand for radio “day in, day out” even as listener choice continues to grow.
Bauer Media Audio UK has continued to deliver strong reach across its portfolio in the latest RAJAR results for Q4 2025, with 22.5 million listeners tuning in to Bauer stations each week.
The latest figures show radio continues to reach 86 per cent of the UK population, equivalent to 50 million weekly listeners. Digital listening now accounts for 75 per cent of all listening hours, with around 30 per cent taking place online via apps and smart speakers.
Bauer’s Hits Radio Portfolio, made up of Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio, now reaches 12.4 million listeners, rising to 14.4 million when partner stations are included. Greatest Hits Radio attracts 6.9 million listeners, with a further 1.4 million tuning in to its decade spin-off stations. The main service remains home to the UK’s most listened to commercial radio show, presented by Ken Bruce.
The Hits Radio Network reaches 6.8 million listeners, with Hits Radio 90s and Hits Radio 00s continuing to grow to 457,000 and 380,000 listeners respectively. Hits Radio Pride recorded its biggest audience to date with 369,000 listeners.
The Absolute Radio Network reaches 5.4 million listeners, with the Dave Berry Breakfast Show attracting 2.2 million. Absolute Radio 00s has posted its highest ever audience, growing 20 per cent year-on-year to 520,000 listeners.
The Magic Radio Network has grown to 3.6 million listeners, with 309,000 tuning in to Magic Christmas during the quarter. The Magic Radio Breakfast Show with Gok Wan and Harriet Scott is up 13 per cent year-on-year, while Mellow Magic has increased 21 per cent to 528,000 listeners.
The KISS Network entertains 3.4 million listeners each week, with the main KISS station up nearly 19 per cent year-on-year. KISSTORY R&B reaches 613,000 listeners, while Tyler West has delivered a 39 per cent increase in audience for his drivetime show.
Planet Rock reaches 1.1 million listeners, up 13 per cent year-on-year, while Kerrang! Radio reaches 547,000 and Jazz FM reaches 480,000 listeners, both posting double-digit annual growth.
Bauer operates four of the UK’s five largest digital commercial radio stations, including Absolute Radio and KISSTORY, while its digital audio advertising platform audioXi now reaches 14 million people each month.
Simon Myciunka said the results underline radio’s continued role as a trusted medium, with digital innovation helping Bauer reach audiences in new ways. Gary Stein pointed to strong performances from Magic and KISS, highlighting growing momentum as the group looks ahead to the next phase of development.
News Broadcasting has recorded a new high for its share of UK radio listening in the latest RAJAR results, delivering a record 4.5 per cent of total listening.
For the quarter ending 14 December 2025, the group reports 46 million listening hours, up 4.6 per cent year-on-year, with a weekly reach of 6.2 million listeners. This represents the highest market share achieved by News Broadcasting to date.
The company remains the most digitally focused radio broadcaster in the UK, with 86.3 per cent of listening delivered via digital platforms and 35.4 per cent of hours coming from streaming services. Across the quarter, News Broadcasting brands generated more than 383 million video views on YouTube.
talkSPORT continues to drive growth for the group, delivering 24 million listening hours, up 12.7 per cent year-on-year, with a weekly audience of 3.5 million listeners. talkSPORT2 recorded 460,000 listeners and 1.3 million listening hours, increasing by more than 40 per cent quarter-on-quarter.
Scott Taunton, News UK EVP and President of Broadcasting, said the figures highlight continued growth in digital listening and multi-platform engagement, with audiences increasingly consuming content across audio and video.
Times Radio reaches 542,000 weekly listeners, tuning in for 4.4 million hours, as the station continues to build its news-led schedule and expand its weekend output.
Talk delivered its strongest quarter to date, recording 7 million listening hours, up 39.1 per cent on the previous quarter, with 565,000 listeners.
Virgin Radio UK reached 1.9 million listeners across the network, with Virgin Radio 80s increasing listening hours by 12.1 per cent year-on-year and further growth across social and video platforms.
In Northern Ireland, U105 marked 20 years on air with a reach of 227,000 listeners, up 1.3 per cent quarter-on-quarter, and 2 million listening hours.
Taunton said the latest figures reflect continued momentum for the group, pointing to talkSPORT’s growing role across audio and video as the company looks ahead to major sporting events in the coming year.
Nation Broadcasting has passed seven million listening hours for the first time, posting its strongest set of RAJAR figures to date.
In the Q4 2025 survey, the group recorded 7.15 million listening hours, a new high and an increase of around 16 per cent on the previous quarter. Weekly reach also rose sharply to just over 1.1 million listeners, up from roughly 950,000 in Q3.
The growth marks a continued upward trend for Nation Broadcasting, which has seen total listening hours rise by around a quarter compared with the same period last year and by close to half over two years.
Founder Jason Bryant said the results reflect sustained investment in content and distribution, with local, regional and national services now delivering stronger audiences for both listeners and advertisers. He also pointed to further expansion plans, suggesting more changes are planned beyond the current RAJAR period.
Several individual stations posted notable performances.
Nation Radio Wales increased its listening hours by 20 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 1.2 million. That suggests a Q3 total of around one million hours, making it one of the strongest contributors to the group’s overall growth.
Swansea Bay Radio delivered the most dramatic year-on-year change, with listening hours up by around 700 per cent compared with the same quarter last year. While no absolute figure has been published, the scale of the increase points to a very low base twelve months ago and a rapid build following schedule changes, including its breakfast output.
In England, Nation Radio Yorkshire recorded more than 500,000 listening hours in the quarter, while Nation Radio North East achieved its highest ever weekly reach at 94,000 listeners, improving on its previous best from Q3.
On the south coast, Nation Easy Radio passed 400,000 weekly listening hours for the first time, setting a new record for the service and continuing its steady upward trend across recent surveys.
Nation’s Group Programme Director Neil Greenslade credited the results to consistent programming across the portfolio, describing the quarter as a strong endorsement of the teams working across the network.
The figures reinforce Nation’s position as the UK’s largest independent commercial radio operator and show that, while growth is uneven across markets, momentum is continuing across both newer local services and more established regional brands.
The Boom Radio Group (now including Boom Light) has seen its total listening grow 35% over the past year as it approaches its 5th birthday. Phil Riley: “We will be having a party to celebrate our fifth anniversary very shortly, and we couldn’t have asked for a better set of figures to raise a glass to. To imagine we’d have nearly 750,000 listeners across Boom Radio and Boom Light, delivering over 10 million hours of listening to us each week, is incredible.
Sunrise Radio lost listeners this quarter but remains the biggest Asian station in London, with Lyca Radio closing the gap to 14,000 listeners.
Lyca Gold Radio delivered its biggest ever reach with 116,000.
Tony Lit MBE, MD Sunrise Radio Group, says, “ We are delighted to announce that following the release of Rajar Q4 2025 this morning, the Sunrise Radio Brand in London and nationally continues to lead the way as the UK’s number ONE Asian commercial radio station.”
Raj Baddhan, CEO of Lyca Radio Network said, “We are extremely pleased with this morning’s figures for the Lyca Radio Network. As Lyca Radio (Greater London) marks its twelfth year of broadcasting, the network stands stronger than ever.
GB News Radio says it has outperformed all its network rivals, securing the highest year-on-year audience growth in the latest RAJAR figures, despite a slight drop this quarter. It’s up 44% year-on-year to 672,000. Commenting on the “phenomenal” results, GB News’ Head of Programming, Ben Briscoe, said: “The surge in the number of people turning to GB News Radio over the last year is yet another sign of a growing community now turning to our bold and fearless journalism each and every day.
“We’re seeing growing numbers across all our platforms, and these phenomenal results are down to a team which works tirelessly to tell the stories others ignore.”
For more RAJAR, see what Matt Deegan is saying on sales and consolidation, and Adam Bowie has details on overall trends here.