Advanced Television

Record-breaking Q1 for BBC Sounds

May 15, 2025

RAJAR figures show how audiences consumed audio content from the BBC during the first quarter of 2025, both live and on-demand. According to the latest figures for the period, 31.4 million people tuned in each week for live output across BBC’s radio stations, with a share of 43.1 per cent.

Audiences chose to start their year with Radio 3’s classical music offer as the station saw 2.15 million listeners tune in – the highest reach for the period in more than a decade and overall, since the end of the pandemic in Q3 2021.

In addition to Radio 3’s strong figures, the station’s new music stream on BBC Sounds, Radio 3 Unwind, has proved popular amongst listeners with its eclectic range of calming, classical music. Following its arrival to BBC Sounds in November 2024, the stream is expected to launch on DAB+ later this year,.

It was also a strong start to the year for the BBC’s speech radio stations, with an uplift for live listening across BBC Radio 4, 4 Extra and BBC Radio 5 Live. On New Year’s Day Radio 4 treated listeners to a day of special programming celebrating the centenary of the Shipping Forecast, whilst in March, Radio 4 and 5 Live marked five years since the start of the UK’s first lockdown, with programmes exploring the long-term impact on children and young people. BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast also made headlines with an interview with the Prime Minister at number 10.

BBC Radio 2 attracted 13.1 million listeners with its refreshed schedule kicking in during the quarter in late January, and BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6 Music and the BBC’s other stations saw their audiences broadly hold steady.

BBC Sounds saw a record-breaking start for the year with 681 million plays of content and a record 261m of these plays coming from on-demand radio and podcast. These included hit podcasts such The Traitors: Uncloaked, new commissions such as What’s Up Docs? and titles from the BBC Sounds Audio Lab scheme, as well as audio drama ranging from The Archers to new pieces such as When Maggie Met Larry. The weekly audience peaked at 5 million during the second week of March, which featured a packed schedule of sports and the announcement of Radio 1’s Big Weekend line up for this year’s festival in Liverpool.

Kate Phillips, Interim BBC Chief Content Officer, says: “In a hectic world, I’m delighted to see audiences finding what they need from the BBC: reflection and delight from Radio 3 with its unrivalled, high quality classical music offer, news and insights from our distinctive speech networks Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live. Across live and on-demand on BBC Sounds, we keep on upping our ambition and evolving our schedules and commissioning approach, ensuring we absolutely bring the best ideas and most brilliant presenters to all our audiences, however and whenever they choose to listen.”

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