Ignore the moans of radio’s doomsayers! In the U.K., radio listenership remains strong.
Mark Pearson, Ofcom UK’s senior analyst of research and intelligence, made that clear during his talk at WorldDAB Automotive 2025.
The one-day event was hosted by WorldDAB, the international association promoting the DAB/DAB+ digital radio transmission standard. WorldDAB Automotive 2025 took place June 19 at Madrid’s Palacio Neptuno hotel.
“Although people in the U.K. have a wider choice than ever of audio content, radio reach and consumption continues to be resilient with 87 percent of adults listening to live radio at least weekly and with over a billion minutes of weekly listening in Q1 2025,” Pearson told the WorldDAB audience.
Amid these encouraging findings, Pearson also said there has been a shift over recent years as the BBC’s share of overall listening has declined from around a half to 43%. Meanwhile, the commercial sector now accounts for 55% of total radio listening minutes, “with the largest two groups, Bauer and Global, accounting for 44%,” he said.
Pearson stated that DAB has helped the UK’s commercial sector grow. “It has allowed for the launch of new independent broadcasters as well as the launch of digital-only extensions, and brands which similarly broadcast on analog and digital platforms,” he said. These include, for example, stations which focus on music from a particular decade or sub-genre.
Pearson said DAB has boosted U.K. commercial radio because British listeners have widely adopted digital radio. “The U.K. was an early adopter of DAB, and DAB accounts for over 40 percent of total U.K. radio listening, making it the largest platform by share,” he said.
There’s also a lot to listen to on U.K. DAB: “In addition to three U.K.-wide DAB multiplexes — one BBC and two commercials that carry 67 services — there are also over 70 local multiplexes broadcasting around the U.K.,” said Pearson.
In this lively listening landscape, “the car is a key environment for radio,” said Pearson. “It accounts for just over a quarter of total listening at the current time.”
Total listening in cars has not only bounced back from the pandemic, it’s now higher than pre-pandemic levels, he said. “As of Q1 this year, 11.5 million people in the U.K. only listened to the radio weekly in the car and nowhere else. Listening to live radio on DAB or DAB+ continues to be the most common in-car audio activity.”
Pearson said recent Ofcom data shows that 53% of those people who use a car as a driver or passenger say that they listen to DAB radio in the car. That’s an increase of four percentage points since 2024.
What about non-radio listening options in the car? “We’ve seen the launch of increasingly sophisticated entertainment systems and updates to Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay,” replied Pearson. However, “it seems only a small number of people actually use these AV services, with only seven percent streaming video content and six percent playing games on an in-car infotainment system.
“Compare that to 63 percent using an FM or DAB radio in the car, and one in five saying they’re using music streaming services there.”
Another important point: “Around three-quarters of people value being able to listen to radio in a vehicle, and there isn’t much difference across demographics here,” Pearson said. “People often talk about younger demographics maybe moving away from radio. Well, in the car, it’s still something that they expect and value.”
The main takeaway: “Radio in the U.K. continues to be resilient,” said Pearson. “Around nine in ten adults listen to the radio each week. In-car listening is growing; and the BBC, commercial and community broadcasters are continuing to invest in new DAB services.”
[Related: “EBU Updates Its Connected Car Playbook“]
