Australian commercial radio audiences continue to reach new heights, according to GfK Survey 3 2024, with 12.41 million listeners.
Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) welcomed the latest results, revealing year-on-year (YOY) growth in morning show listenership, now reaching a record number of 7.19 million. With nearly 58% of commercial radio’s total audience choosing to tune in to kickstart their day. Increases can be observed across breakfast, morning, and afternoon programs.
In-car listening saw considerable growth, with more than 10 million listeners. This additional 258,000 listeners mark a nearly 3% increase compared to the same period last year.
“The rise in morning listenership, partnered with increased engagement during commutes, shows how seamlessly radio integrates into our lives,” said Jo Dick, CRA chief commercial officer.
“Radio’s not just a source of information and entertainment, it’s a central part of our routines.”
At-work commercial radio audiences are dialing in for an extra 42 minutes per week, lifting the YOY figure by 6.2%. Likewise, at-home time spent listening (TSL) has seen a 6.1% rise.
Climbing audience numbers can be seen across majority of demographics. On a separate note, TSL for those aged 18 to 24 and 55 to 64, increased by 3.6% and 2.5% respectively.
“It’s great to see our audience consistently growing. With 18 to 24-year-olds listening for almost 11 hours weekly, radio’s appeal clearly spans generations,” Ms Dick adds.
Morning listening time sits at an average of 2 hours 43 minutes for commercial DAB+ only stations. Moreover, the number of commercial radio listeners via streaming grew to 3.28 million. With morning streaming alone rising by 13% since last survey, to reach an audience of nearly 1.38 million. Additionally, 122,000 new listeners were welcomed to at-home streaming. This 5.4% growth bringing the audience total to 2.37 million.
“Survey 3 highlights the strength of commercial radio as it continues to evolve in tandem with shifting listener habits and their growing preference for flexibility,” Ms Dick said.
Source: GfK 360 Radio Ratings, SMBAP S3 2024, compared to S3 2023, All people 10+, Mon-Sun 12mn-12mn, Cume (000’s), unless otherwise stated. Weekly Time Spent Listening (hh:mm). All numbers refer to commercial radio results unless otherwise stated.