Radio posts tough quarter: Regional revenue down, digital up
Commercial radio revenue has fallen slightly in the second quarter of 2025, which the CRA credits to a drop in election advertising spend, and the softening of “a few key brand categories.”
Total radio revenue for the quarter was $309.2 million, slightly down from $309.9m in the same quarter of 2024.
Broken down into categories, metro radio brought in $177.1 million, down from $178.2 million year-on-year.
Regional radio saw a 5.3% dip from $109.2 million to $103.4 million, while digital advertising revenue — which encompasses streaming and podcasting — rose by 27.4%, from 22.5 million to 28.7 million.
Despite the muted results, Commercial Radio and Audio said in a release it had “several major projects in train set to drive future growth”. These include a new audio ID for more granular targeting, the upgrade of the RadioApp, and a new national advertising campaign.
Radio revenue dipped slightly in the June quarter.
Lizzie Young, CEO of CRA said, “while there are challenges in the broader advertising sector, which we have felt in some regional markets, it’s clear to us where the market is shifting, and we’re acting to capture more of that demand.
“Advertisers are requiring more certainty for investment confidence. They need more insight, more efficiency, more return; audio is perfectly positioned to deliver on all fronts.”
CRA’s revenue results are compiled by media analytics firm Milton Data.
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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