LONDON�The increasing popularity of DAB digital radio in the UK has boosted all digital radio listening to just less than 40 percent of all hours (39.94 percent), according toRajar Q2 2015 datareleased today.
The number of listening hours for DAB has increased by 13 percent year over year, and DAB remains the most popular platform with 26.7 percent listening share, up 10.8 percent year-over-year, and accounting for 70 percent of all digital listening. DAB ownership has increased to over half of all households (to 50.9 percent from 48.5 percent in Q2 2014), with 27 million adults now having access to a DAB receiver.
In total 30 million people across the UK (or 55 percent of the population) now listen on digital platforms. Listening via internet/apps has declined quarter over quarter, but grew 6 percent year-over-year, whilst listening via DTV declined 1 percent year over year.
Analog listening continues to decline, dipping to a new low of 53.7 percent share of all listening.
Driven by car manufacturers� decision to equip DAB as standard equipment in 70 percent new cars (CAP/SMMT July 2015), digital listening in cars continues to accelerate, growing by 48 percent year over year, to just under 17 percent (16.9 percent) of all listening in cars.
London continues to be the most �digital� region, with digital listening widening its lead over analog in the region to 1.4 percent, with a 47.3 percent share as compared to analog�s 45.9�percent.�The leading digital-only station is BBC 6 Music with 2.06 million listeners, re-establishing its lead over BBC Radio 4 Extra (1.95 million). BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra attracted a record audience of 1.62million, a growth of 77 percent year over year. Overall almost 56 percent (55.7 percent) of BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra�s audience was on a digital platform.
