The RAJAR results are in for Q2 2025, and commercial radio is celebrating its highest ever market share.
Commercial's record 55.7% share was up 0.7% on the same quarter last year, although its 39.5 million weekly listeners represented a 2.4% year-on-year drop on Q2 2024's 40.5m.
Heart strengthened its claim to be the UK's biggest radio brand, pulling in 13.03m weekly listeners over the three-month period – up 2.1% year-on-year – to extend its lead over BBC Radio 2, which fell 5.2% to 12.62m, although Global's figures combine the main Heart Network’s listeners with other Heart branded stations. Heart Network rose 0.5% to 9.67m.
“It was a huge moment last quarter to see Heart overtake Radio 2 as the UK’s biggest radio brand, and this quarter I’m delighted to see Heart extend its lead even further," said Ashley Tabor-King CBE, founder & executive president of Global.
BBC Radio 2 head Helen Thomas stressed that R2, which reported a modest 3.7% decline on the previous quarter, was still the UK's most popular "single radio station".
“I’m hugely proud that in a quarter where Radio 2 shone a light on Eurovision, celebrated Elaine Paige’s 60 years in showbusiness, launched the RHS Radio 2 Dog Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, and presented a VE Day 80 concert, Radio 2 firmly remains the UK’s most listened to single radio station, with an audience of 12.6m each week," she said.
Vernon Kay remains the UK’s most listened-to radio show with 6.6m listeners, down 2% on both the quarter and the year, and the Radio 2 Breakfast Show presented by Scott Mills continues to be the biggest breakfast show in the UK with 6.21m listeners, down 3.7% on the quarter and 3.2% y-o-y.
The 6 Music Breakfast Show hosted by Nick Grimshaw, who took over the slot from Lauren Laverne earlier this year, has a weekly audience of 1.3m.
"Congratulations to Scott Mills, whose Breakfast Show remains the number one morning show in the country with 6.2m listeners, and Vernon Kay, whose weekday mid-morning show continues to be the most listened to programme on UK radio, with a weekly audience of 6.6m," added Thomas.
Here, Music Week delves deeper into the ratings across BBC and commercial networks for 31 March – 22 June 2025…
BBC STATIONS
The BBC led the way with 31.1m listeners (-2.9% y-o-y) tuning in each week for live output across BBC’s radio stations, achieving a share of 42.1%. But there were year-on-year declines for Radio 1 with 7.48m (-7.9%), Radio 1Xtra with 727,000 (-12.3%), Asian Network with 517,000 (-19.7%) and Music Week Awards winners BBC Radio 6 Music, which was still the most listened to digital-only radio station with 2.59m weekly listeners (-5.8%). However, R1 (+1.2%) and 6 Music (+0.4%) both posted quarterly gains.
Greg James' R1 Breakfast Show also fell 4% to 3.86m. Radio 1 had 8m listeners aged 10+.
Radio 3 was again a shining light for the Beeb, attracting 1.95m listeners for a 6.2% year-on-year increase.
BBC Sounds data saw a record-breaking 696 million plays of all content across radio, podcasts and music mixes between April and June – a 14.5% increase on the previous year.
Of the total plays, on-demand radio and podcast listening made up 257m. According to RAJAR, podcast listening is at an all-time high with 16.3m of the UK population (15+) now listening to podcasts each week.
GLOBAL
Global claimed a record-breaking share of 27.7% and record-breaking hours of 283m in Q2, with 29m weekly listeners across its brands. It boasts the three biggest commercial radio brands in the UK in Heart, Capital and Smooth.
Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston & Amanda Holden is the biggest commercial breakfast show in the UK with 4.19m weekly listeners (+1% y-o-y).
The Capital brand ascended 2.2% year-on-year to 9.3m, with Smooth leaping 6.9% to 7.71m. Smooth 80s also celebrated its highest ever audience (664,000). Capital XTRA Breakfast with Robert Bruce & Shayna Marie also record-breaking reach of 666,000 weekly listeners.
In addition, Heart’s decade stations, Heart 80s (1.9m), Heart 90s (1.32m) and sister station Heart Love (272,000) all achieved record figures. Heart 80s was up 3.7% and Heart 90s rocketed 16.4%.
Radio X scored 2.44m weekly listeners, plus decade stations Radio X 90s (243,000), Radio X 00s (157,000) and sister station Radio X Chilled (175,000) all have record figures, although The Chris Moyles Show saw its audience slump 19% to 944,000. The Classic FM brand, meanwhile, boasts 4.67m listeners (-1.4%).
“It’s incredible to see the audience growth across Global, another record share, and record hours," said James Rea, chief broadcasting & content officer at Global. "The market is hugely competitive, so to be leading the pack and delivering growth is not something we would ever take for granted. A heartfelt thank you to the world class teams at Global and the millions who tune in every day.”
BAUER MEDIA AUDIO
As Oasis-fever sweeps the nation once more, Bauer's Absolute Radio is making good on its promise of a 'Britpop Summer', pulling in 2.16m weekly listeners – a leap of 3.9% year-on-year and 10.1% on the previous quarter – to be anointed as the UK’s biggest commercial digital station.
Overall, the Absolute Radio Network has a reach of 5.47m listeners (-1.7% y-o-y), with Absolute Radio Country achieving a record 690,000 weekly listeners (+50.7%) and record reach also for Absolute Radio 00s with 449,000 listeners (+26.6%).
The Kiss Network has 3.61m listeners (-10.7%) with KISS Xtra now reaching 240,000 listeners (+12.7%). The Magic Radio Network has fallen 14.8% year-on-year to an audience of 3.56m, with 2.25m (-15%) for the main station and Mellow Magic reaches 470,000 listeners (+6.1%).
Greatest Hits Radio’s new decades stations have also made a solid start, with GHR 70s and GHR 80s attracting 333,000 and 495,000 listeners, respectively. Planet Rock now reaches 1.13m (-5.4%).
"In the month that we launched our digital audio advertising platform, audioXi, here in the UK, it’s exciting to see Bauer Media Audio UK leading the way in connected listening," said Simon Myciunka, CEO for Bauer Media Audio UK. "A third of our listening is now online, in app or via smart speakers. As our audio brands continue to entertain millions of listeners every week, our commitment to excellence and innovation remains as strong as ever in our 150th year.”
Gary Stein, director of audio for Bauer Media Audio UK said, “As the UK is enjoying a summer of live music, it’s great to see Absolute Radio at the centre of the Britpop Summer and taking the crown as the UK’s biggest commercial digital station for the first time ever. With strong growth as well for Planet Rock, Kerrang! and Absolute Radio Country it’s proof in the power of radio and its ability to be there 24/7 for fans, super serving our listening communities with their unique output.”
Elsewhere, Virgin Radio pulled in 1.375m listeners (-15.5% year-on-year) and Chris Evans’ Breakfast Show was down 14% year-on-year at 779,000.
