Radio reaches a record 51 million weekly listeners as commercial stations widen their lead

Weekly radio listening in the UK reached a record 51 million people in the third quarter of 2026, up 2% year on year, according to the latest RAJAR figures.

Commercial radio reached 40 million listeners a week, up from 39.7 million in the same quarter of 2025. Its share of listening rose 1.1% on the quarter to 56%, against 41.9% for BBC services.

Digital listening

Online listening to all radio stations grew to 30.8% of total listening, from 29.7% a year earlier, well ahead of AM/FM at 23.6%. Smart speakers make up 18.7% of all radio listening.

For commercial radio, more than a third of listening hours now come through internet-connected platforms. That share hit a record 34.1%, against 33.5% a year earlier, as audiences continue to move to connected devices.

Matt Payton, chief executive of Radiocentre, said: “Radio’s record-breaking reach proves that audio remains an essential part of daily life for millions of people across the UK. As listening habits continue to evolve, commercial radio is thriving, attracting 40 million listeners and growing its listening hours due to more digital consumption and the resilience of broadcast platforms. These results are a testament to the enduring appeal of great content, trusted stations and the ability of radio to deliver both scale and targeting for brands.”

The BBC

Commercial radio’s gains came partly at the BBC’s expense. The corporation’s combined share dropped to 41.9% from 42.6%, although its weekly audience stayed broadly steady at a little over 31 million.

BBC Local Radio in England lost 5.7% of its weekly reach, which fell to 4.425 million from 4.690 million. Total hours edged up to 32.6 million from 32.5 million, suggesting the listeners who remain are staying tuned for longer.

Breakfast was a brighter spot. Radio 2’s breakfast show averaged 6.44 million daily listeners, up 4% on last year and 1% on Q2, keeping Sara Cox well clear as the most listened-to breakfast host in the UK.

BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast grew 8% on the quarter and 13% on the year to over 1.4 million listeners. The BBC said its FIFA World Cup coverage and big political news had helped.

Radio 2 is still the UK’s most listened-to single station. It has 12.7 million weekly listeners, 2% more than last quarter. Radio 3’s weekly audience rose 9% on last year to almost two million.

Radio 4 remains the biggest speech station in the UK, with 8.7 million weekly listeners. The Today programme alone reaches 5.5 million.

The commercial groups

Global is still the UK’s biggest commercial radio group, reaching 29.1 million people a week across its brands. They include the three biggest commercial brands: Heart, Capital and Smooth.

Heart remains the biggest radio brand in the UK, with more than 13 million weekly listeners. That puts it 355,000 ahead of BBC Radio 2, although Heart is a network of stations rather than a single one. Capital rose to 9.1 million, more than 1.5 million ahead of the BBC Radio 1 brand.

Classic FM leads the classical music brands, with 4.4 million weekly listeners against 1.96 million for BBC Radio 3. Its listening hours rose on both the quarter and the year. Classic FM Breakfast with Dan Walker reaches 1.9 million a week, 1.3 million more than the Radio 3 breakfast show.

Simon Pitts, group chief executive of Global, said: “Global has delivered record listening hours in this latest set of RAJAR results, underlining the enduring strength of our brands and the extraordinary connection they have with audiences. Heart remains the UK’s biggest radio brand, while growth right across our portfolio of stations reflects the quality and breadth of our radio line-up.”

James Rea, Global’s chief content officer, said: “It’s fantastic to see an all-time high for radio listening in the UK and how it continues to be such a big part of so many people’s lives. I’m incredibly proud of the Global team for delivering this amazing set of results. 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.”

Bauer Media Audio UK’s own and partner stations had 22.9 million weekly listeners between them. Its Magic Radio, Hits Radio and Absolute Radio networks all grew during the quarter.

Ken Bruce’s Greatest Hits Radio show is still the most listened-to programme on commercial radio. The Hits Radio Portfolio, which combines Greatest Hits Radio with Hits Radio, is commercial radio’s largest, reaching 12.2 million listeners, or 14.5 million including partner stations.

The first audience figures for Zoe Ball, who has moved from Radio 2 to Greatest Hits Radio, are due next quarter.

Bauer also owns four of the top five digital stations across apps, online and smart speakers. Absolute Radio is first, KISSTORY second, KISS fourth and Absolute 80s fifth.

Simon Myciunka, chief executive of Bauer Media Audio UK and Bauer Media’s president of audio, said: “Radio has reached a new record audience this quarter, and commercial radio continues to lead the way, accounting for more than half of all listening. At a time when human connection is more important than ever, almost two in five people listen to our stations every week. Our brands are part of the nation’s daily lives, from the school run to winding down at night. That connection is exactly why advertisers keep coming back to audio.”

Gary Stein, Bauer Media Audio UK’s director of audio, 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.”