NextRadio says stations that go beyond just posting just their logo in the smartphone app and add more visuals and related content enjoy more listening and tune-ins.
In a release, Paul Brenner, president of the Emmis-backed NextRadio business, said, “Consumers are part of an ever evolving app-world, and they expect to see and engage with content on their smartphones.”
The company has said it expects a “large increase” in FM chip-enabled mobile phones becoming available this year such as the recently introduced Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge smartphones, and it has lobbied more broadcasters to sign up to participate in its service. The logo level of participation is free to stations while other levels involve a fee. The app provides local radio tuning via smartphones plus online interactive features; the company also highlights its low consumption of power and data compared to streaming radio apps.
Now, after analyzing 11 million NextRadio listening hours, the company says these stations averaged “nearly twice the tune-ins and two hours more listening, per listener, per month” as compared to stations that only added the station logo.
“Not only does the data show that these stations experience more tune-ins and overall listening, but it also shows that the listening gap is widening between those that provide enticing visuals and related content versus those that do not,” Brenner said.
