The latest RAJAR figures for Q4 2025 have been released. We’ve been crunching the numbers and assessing the results.
Here are the headlines:
- 50 million adults, or 86% of the adult UK population, tune into radio each week.
- Commercial Radio’s share of UK radio listening is 55.2%, 12.4% bigger than the BBC which now stands at 42.8%.
- 39.4 million people now tune in to commercial stations each week, 8.5 million more than BBC radio.
- Across all radio, listening via smart speakers now represents 18.5%of total hours, up from 16.1% year on year. Commercial radio’s share is higher still at 22.2%.
National Stations and Networks
Global continues to lead as the UK’s largest commercial radio group after posting record listening hours and share in Q4 2025. It boasts 288 million listening hours and a 28.3% share, both the highest the company has recorded, whilst weekly reach is at 29 million listeners.
Global’s Heart Brand is still very much loved with 12,700,000 weekly listeners. Its weekly reach is a solid 22% of the total UK population and its total hours are a healthy 83.5 million. The brand is also responsible for retaining the top spot for the biggest commercial radio breakfast show – Heart Breakfast with Jamie and Amanda. The popular presenting team gained 5% in reach compared to Q3 2025 and now have 4.3 million listeners.
The slightly younger targeted Capital Brand saw an increase of 3.0% in total hours compared to Q3 2025, up from 52,658,000 to 54,214,000 per week. The Network also had a slight increase in total hours compared to the previous quarter – up by 1.9% from 36,441,000 to 37,143,000 hours.
The Smooth Brand is the 4th largest radio brand in the UK. Year on year, its total hours are up 2.7% to 50.5 million.
Meanwhile, Bauer’s Greatest Hits Network now reaches 6.9m listeners who tune in on average for 9.1 hours per week. In comparison, the GHR Network’s average hours are 35% higher than the Smooth Brand and 38% higher than the Heart Brand.
The Magic Network had a few tricks up its sleeve too, increasing in both reach and hours in the final quarter of 2025. Compared to Q3, its weekly reach has increased by 4.2% (from 3,469,000 to 3,613,000) while its hours have grown by an impressive 8.2% (from 19.6 million to 21.2 million). Now that’s Magic!
It’s solid Gold for Gold Radio UK, with figures remaining steady in Q4. Its reach has increased slightly by 1.4% and now has 1.7 million weekly listeners. Its total listening hours have increased by 1.9%, from 11,921,000 to 12,149,000 quarter on quarter.
The KISS Network increased hours year on year by 4.3%, rising from 15.8 million to 16.5 million. With the launch of their new Breakfast show this month, we look forward to seeing how this effects the figures in the next set of results.
Meanwhile, the Absolute Radio Network posted 5.4 million listeners in Q4 2025, with the Dave Berry Breakfast Show attracting 2.2 million weekly listeners. Absolute Radio 00s has posted its highest ever audience in Q4, growing 20% year on year to 520,000 weekly listeners.
In the Q4 2025 survey, Nation Broadcasting recorded 7.1 million listening hours, a new high and an increase of 16% on the previous quarter. Weekly reach also rose to just over 1.1 million listeners, up from 980,000.
News and Talk stations
World events are moving ever faster, and commercial News and Talk stations are keeping their listeners informed.
LBC Brand (UK) performed well in Q4, with weekly reach up 2% compared to Q3, up from 3,343,000 to 3,409,000 weekly listeners and total hours are up 1.5% from 29,595,000 to 30,038,000.
The top-performing station within the brand this quarteris LBC (UK). It recorded a 1.9% increase in total hours, rising from 27,035,000 in Q3 to 27,536,000 in Q4. Its reach is also up by 5.1% from 2,640,000 to 2,775,000, quarter on quarter.
News Broadcasting’s Talk (formerly known as TalkRADIO) was up 11.7% in reach this quarter, to 565,000 weekly listeners. Hours were also up 39.1% with weekly hours per listener increasing from 9.9 in Q3 to 12.4 in Q4.
talkSPORT saw an increase in reach, up 2.5% to 3.2 million compared to Q3, whilst talkSPORT2 increased reach by 12.7% to 460,000 weekly listeners. Its hours also increased by an amazing 40.3% compared to the previous quarter.
Digital Listening and Digital Only Stations
Online listening across all radio reached a new high of 29.8% share, moving further ahead of AM and FM listening at 25.4%. One of the reasons for this impressive growth has been the increased range of varied formats and musical genres available. The biggest winners here are as follows:
Absolute 00s and Absolute Radio 70s delivered strong results in Q4 2025. Absolute 00s continued its growth, with reach up 8.8% quarter on quarter to just over 1.5 million and total listening hours increased by 29.5%, up from 478,000 in Q3 to 520,000 in Q4.
Absolute Radio 70s got its old flared trousers out and saw gains in Q4, with total listening hours rising by 10.5%, up from 711,000 to 786,000 hours.
Comparing year on year results, Absolute Radio 10s has increased its total hours by 50.4% up from 413,000 in Q3 to 621,000 in Q4. Reach is also up by 10.2% year on year, up from 265,000 in the previous year to 292,000 weekly listeners in Q4 2025.
It’s a Yee-ha! to Absolute Radio Country which has also seen growth in terms of total hours year on year – up 30.8% from 2,939,000 in 2024 to 3,844,0000 in Q4.
Arriving in the biggest pick-up truck and making the loudest noise was Country Line Radio (formerly Chris Country). It achieved a 64.8% increase in reach compared to Q3 with 89,000 weekly listeners and its total hours increased by 52.8% from 339,000 to 518,000.
Radio X Chilled witnessed a growth in its total listening hours, increasing by 29.1% quarter on quarter, up from 206,000 to 266,000 hours.
Radio X Manchester has benefited from the “Oasis effect” with reach increasing by 12.4% this quarter – up from 186,000 to 209,000. Its total listening hours also increased by a whopping 67.9% – from 921,000 to 1,546,000.
Heart Musicals has hit the high notes too, showing growth of 40% in terms of average hours – up from 1.5 in Q3 to 2.1 in Q4.
On the other stage is Magic at the Musicals, which grew its total hours by 26.6%, increasing by 333,000 in Q4 to 1,585,000 hours. It also grew its weekly reach by 11.5%, increasing from 261,000 to 291,000 Wicked!
In Q4 2025, listeners were tuning in more than ever to Hits Radio’s decade stations, with both Hits Radio 00s and Hits Radio 90s seeing growth across both reach and total hours.
Hits Radio 00s saw listening hours jump by 23.9%, rising from 1,091,000 in Q3 to 1,352,000 in Q4, and reach increased by 20.3%, from 316,000 to 380,000. Meanwhile, Hits Radio 90s saw a 21.9% increase in weekly reach from 375,000 to 457,000.
London
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 London’s commercial radio breakfast audience.
LBC London is the most listened to station in terms of hours, whereas Heart London wins on reach.
Capital XTRA (London) and Greatest Hits Radio (London) each recorded strong growth in total hours, pointing to increased listener engagement.
Capital XTRA (London) added an XTRA 38.1% to their total hours up from 2,991,000 to 4,132,000 quarter on quarter.
Greatest Hits Radio (London) is still proving a hit with London listeners, increasing total hours by 6.4% from 5,067,000 to 5,390,000 quarter on quarter.
Here are the top 5 stations.
Total Listening Hours
| Station | Q4 Total Hours |
| LBC London | 14,729,000 |
| Heart London | 8,281,000 |
| Capital London | 7,119,000 |
| Magic (London) | 5,784,000 |
| GHR (London) | 5,390,000 |
Weekly Reach
| Station | Q4 Weekly Reach |
| Heart London | 1,585,000 |
| Capital London | 1,490,000 |
| LBC London | 1,328,000 |
| Magic (London) | 981,000 |
| Smooth London | 913,000 |
The Local Picture
It’s not all about the national radio landscape, there have been some solid performances in the regions too, this quarter.
Heart Essex’s Colchester transmitter showcased an amazing 121.3% growth in total hours in Q4, now totalling 394,000 hours. This has been driven by average hours climbing from 4.3 to 10.3 per listener quarter on quarter.
Heart Sussex had a great Q4. With hours upto 2.2 million from 1.8 million in Q3. Both the South and the North transmitters grew in listening hours.
Capital North East had a whopping 28.2% increase in total hours, quarter on quarter, up from 2,298,000 to 2,946,000 hours. It also saw a 17.6% jump in weekly reach, to 468,000 listeners.
Liverpool is synonymous with breaking world-class bands and Capital Liverpool is at the forefront. Total hours went up 18.8% quarter on quarter, up from 600,000 to 713,000.
Capital has also had a good quarter in God’s Own Country with Capital Yorkshire’s total hours rising 17.4% quarter on quarter – up from 4,445,000 to 5,217,000 hours.
The new Hits regional stations have all seen a positive third RAJAR. The standout performers include Hits Devon, which saw a huge 109.5% increase in listening hours, rising from 21,000 to 44,000 in Q4.
Devon is loving Commercial Radio because Smooth Radio Devon has also seen a big increase in total weekly hours, up 40.5% from 291,000 to 409,000, quarter on quarter. Its average hours per listener is up from 5.4 hours per week to 8.0 hours.
Meanwhile, back to the Hits Radio Brand, Hits West of England has had a strong quarter with its listening hours increasing by 42.9% from 462,000 to 660,000. Reach increased by 13.4%.
Summary
For many years, Commercial Radio has continued to deliver growing audiences, and Q4 2025 was no exception. It remains a solid and exciting media buy for agencies and their advertisers. With talented presenters and programmers Commercial Radio is constantly evolving, delivering the numbers as well as providing engaging and relevant content that UK listeners both love and trust.
There’s never been a better time to advertise on radio.
For a quick overview, take a look at our infographic and if you’d like to know more about the Q4 2025 RAJAR results or any other aspects of radio and digital audio advertising, please get in touch.
