Bauer Media Audio UK ‘Hits’ new highs, with 24m weekly listeners

Record performances for Greatest Hits Radio and for Absolute Radio and Magic Radio networks

Bauer Media Audio UK is reaching its biggest ever audience, with a record 24m weekly listeners tuning into its portfolio of owned and partner stations (+6.9% YoY). Bauer’s growth is fuelling both the commercial radio market which has a record of 39.7m people listening every week, and the total radio market which now reaches a record 50m people each week.

Greatest Hits Radio continues its unstoppable rise as it climbs close to 8m listeners. And it’s a brilliant result from the Absolute Radio Network which celebrates record reach this quarter, while the Magic Radio Network has added nearly 400k listeners in the last year.

Standout performances this quarter, include:

• Greatest Hits Radio celebrates new highs, with 7.7m weekly listeners (+50.3% YoY). Simon Mayo has the biggest commercial drivetime show, and one year in, Ken Bruce has 3.8m listeners (+73% YoY) and Rossie at Breakfast has a record 2.9m listeners (+39% YoY).
• The Hits Radio Network reaches 6.7m a week, with the national Hits Radio brand reaching 4.5m listeners.
• The Hits Radio Portfolio, which offers advertisers access to the combined Hits Radio and Greatest Radio audiences, has a record 13.2m listeners (+20.1% YoY), and 15m (+14% YoY) when partner stations are included.
• The Absolute Radio Network reaches a record 5.5m listeners (+2.7% YoY) and main station Absolute Radio is the UK’s biggest commercial digital station.
• The Magic Radio Network has grown its audience to a record 4.4m listeners (+9.6% YoY), with main station Magic Radio reporting 3.1m listeners (+7.7% YoY), and it’s another record for Magic Soul with 512k listeners (+18.5% YoY)
• The KISS Network reaches 4.1m listeners a week, while Kerrang! Radio’s listenership has grown by a third in the last year to 456k.

Once again Bauer celebrates 81% of listening via digital devices and is home to three of the top five digital commercial stations, #1 Absolute Radio, #2 KISSTORY, and #4 Absolute 80s. It’s also ahead of the market in terms of listening via connected devices, with Bauer reporting 30.8% of listening via smart speaker, web and app.

Simon Myciunka, CEO for Bauer Media Audio UK said, ‘It’s great to see another record performance for Bauer Media Audio UK, reflecting the ambition and confidence of the business as it continues to evolve. We are committed to driving even further growth as evidenced by significant recent investment in Hits Radio; delivering even more value for our advertising partners.’

Ben Cooper, Chief Content & Music Officer, Bauer Media Audio UK said: ‘A year of Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio has changed the landscape of our industry, with huge gains in audiences for the station and Bauer as a whole. Listeners are loving our range of talented broadcasters across the portfolio with record results for Absolute Radio and Magic Radio Networks.’

 

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For more information, please contact:  

Amelia O’Shea – Head of Communications, Bauer Media Audio UK
E: amelia.oshea@bauermedia.co.uk T: 07531 949693

Odelia Yu – Commercial Communications Manager
E: odelia.yu@bauermedia.co.uk T: 07718 124791

About Bauer Media UK: 

Bauer Media UK reaches over 27 million UK consumers through a portfolio of world-class, multi-platform media and entertainment brands including heat, KISS, Grazia, Empire, Magic, Absolute Radio and the Hits Radio Network. These brands offer commercial partners access to highly engaged audiences, with creative solutions underpinned by insight and instinct. Bauer Media UK is part of the Bauer Media Group, one of the world’s largest privately owned media businesses with media assets all over the globe.