Leading radio stations ranked by reach in the United Kingdom (UK) in Q1 2020
As of the first quarter of 2020, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) made up four of the top five radio stations in the United Kingdom for weekly reach. BBC Radio 2, the leading radio station in the UK saw its average consumer listen to over ten hours per week. The UK radio industry has seen revenues remain stagnant between 2014 and 2018.
Podcasts and listen again radio
One issue that traditional radio has had to face is the rise of podcasts and listen again radio stations as well as music streaming services. Consumers can now listen to exactly what they want, when they want, often without having to listen to advertising breaks. In 2018, approximately seven million people listened to podcasts in the UK. Also in 2018, approximately 30 percent of individuals used Spotify in the UK.
Demographics
In 2017, those aged between 25 and 44 were most likely to have listened to radio in the previous week. Unlike some other forms of media, UK consumers have been relatively slow to move over to online and app-based consumption. This may be due to the popularity of radio during drive time commutes. The AM/FM radio was still the most popular form of radio consumption in the UK in 2018.
Podcasts and listen again radio
One issue that traditional radio has had to face is the rise of podcasts and listen again radio stations as well as music streaming services. Consumers can now listen to exactly what they want, when they want, often without having to listen to advertising breaks. In 2018, approximately seven million people listened to podcasts in the UK. Also in 2018, approximately 30 percent of individuals used Spotify in the UK.
Demographics
In 2017, those aged between 25 and 44 were most likely to have listened to radio in the previous week. Unlike some other forms of media, UK consumers have been relatively slow to move over to online and app-based consumption. This may be due to the popularity of radio during drive time commutes. The AM/FM radio was still the most popular form of radio consumption in the UK in 2018.
