The BBC has reported strong audience figures for the first quarter of 2025, with Radio 3 achieving its highest reach in over a decade and BBC Sounds setting new records for on-demand plays.
According to the latest RAJAR data covering 30 December 2024 to 30 March 2025, 31.4 million people tuned into BBC radio stations weekly, representing a 43.1% share of the market. Radio 3 attracted 2.15 million listeners, its best performance since the end of the pandemic in Q3 2021, bolstered by special programming and the popular Radio 3 Unwind stream on BBC Sounds.
BBC Radio 2 remained the nation’s favourite station with 13.1 million listeners, while Radio 4, 4 Extra and Radio 5 Live saw uplifts in live listening. The World Service also increased its reach, building on gains from the US election period.
BBC Sounds achieved a record 681 million plays in the quarter, up 5.7% on the previous quarter and 5.9% year-on-year. On-demand radio and podcast content accounted for a record 261 million plays. The weekly audience peaked at 5 million in mid-March, driven by sports coverage and the Radio 1 Big Weekend line-up announcement. Hit podcasts included The Traitors: Uncloaked, which was the most popular among under-35s.
Kate Phillips, Interim BBC Chief Content Officer, said: “In a hectic world, I’m delighted to see audiences finding what they need from the BBC: reflection and delight from Radio 3, news and insights from our distinctive speech networks.”
