Digital audio revenue soars as broadcast radio remains flat
Digital audio revenues for Australia’s commercial radio networks have risen by 32.7% year-on-year, more than offsetting a decline in regional radio advertising.
This is according to a report from peak body Commercial Radio & Audio, using data compiled by media analytics firm Milton Data. It covers advertising revenue for major radio networks ARN Media, Southern Cross Austereo, Nova Entertainment, and Nine, as well as a number of the smaller commercial players.
Total radio revenue for the first quarter of 2025 was $262.1 million, up 1.2% year-on-year.
This was driven by a surge in digital revenues, which includes streaming of DAB+ and online radio, as well as podcasting. This sector rose to $22.9 million from $17.2 million in the first quarter of 2024.
“Clearly the momentum of digital audio across livestreaming and podcasting continues at pace with these results,” CRA CEO Lizzie Young told Mumbrella.
She said digital growth had been “across the board” in terms of her members.
Metro broadcast radio remained flat, with quarterly revenue of $147 million nudging up from $146.8 million in the first quarter of 2024.
Regional radio revenue dropped by 3%, to $92.2 million. Commercial Radio and Audio puts this “slight and isolated dip” down to Cyclone Alfred, which disrupted local economies across Queensland and NSW for a four-week period, resulting in lower advertising spend during the month of March.
Young said audiences “audiences have never been higher” across radio, streaming, and podcasting.
CRA forecasts overall growth for the first half of the calendar year, which it said will “maintain the industry’s overall position of growth.”
The most recent radio rating survey — which covers March 9 to April 12 — showed more than 12.6 million Australians are listening to commercial radio each week, with 3.2 million tuning in via streaming.
Breakfast radio audiences have reached 8.9 million, with streaming audiences up 12% in the mornings.
In-car listening for radio has also risen 7% year-on-year, with 10.4 million Australians tuning in while driving.
Last year, a PwC report showed a 23.6% leap in digital audio advertising expenditure during FY24, with spend in excess of $290 million, split between $185 million for streaming radio, and $105 million for podcasts.
The digital audio sector represented 4.7% of total advertising spending for FY24.
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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If those numbers are correct ARN market share must be diabolical – down 2% PCP v SCA up 9% PCP – Nova and SCA living it up at the expense of ARN by the looks
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