• BBC Radio 2 reach up by a million year-on-year
• BBC Radio 5 live boosted by Ashes coverage
• Record audiences for digital-only stations BBC Radio 1Xtra and BBC 5 live sports extra

New figures published today show that BBC Radio 2 has attracted a million new listeners in the past year.

The station’s weekly audience grew to 14.94 million, from 13.90m a year ago and a record 15.44m last quarter, according to figures published by RAJAR. The station had a share of 16.9% - from 15.6% last year and 17.2% last quarter – while The Chris Evans Breakfast Show drew an audience of 9.35 million listeners every week – compared to 8.55m last year and 9.75m last quarter.

The figures for the period (June 24 – September 15) also show all BBC Radio reached 35.11 million people every week (from 34.66m last year and 35.88m last quarter) and posted a share of 53.4% (53.9% last year and 54.2% last quarter).

Helen Boaden, Director of BBC Radio, said: “I’m pleased to see that BBC Radio performed well over the summer months. Radio 2 is a remarkable success story and continues to reach huge audiences whilst never failing to surprise and amaze with the diversity of its output. The record figures for Radio 1Xtra and Radio 5 live sports extra show the continuing growth of our digital-only portfolio, which now attracts 5.44 million listeners per week.”

BBC Radio 1 attracted 10.83 million listeners during the period (from 11.02m last quarter and 11.2m last year) with a share of 6.6%, (from 6.8% last quarter and 8.2% last year). The Nick Grimshaw Breakfast Show now attracts 5.58 million listeners each week, compared to 5.89m last quarter and 6.73m last year.

Radio 1’s sister station BBC Radio 1Xtra drew a record audience of 1.19 million weekly listeners across the period, up from 1.11 last year and last quarter.

BBC Radio 3 has a weekly audience of 2.03 million listeners – compared to 2m last quarter and 2.15m last year. The network’s share is 1.2%, level with last quarter and from 1.3% last year.

BBC Radio 4 posted a weekly reach of 10.87 million, steady on last year’s 10.85m and down from last quarter’s record 10.98m. The Today programme has 6.81 million listeners each week, from 6.94m last year and 6.97m last quarter.

BBC Radio 4 Extra attracted 1.59 million listeners during the period, from last quarter’s 1.57 million and last year’s 1.69 million.

BBC Radio 5 live posted a combined reach with sister station BBC 5 live sports extra of 6.53 million listeners, from 6.32m last quarter and last year. Share for Radio 5 live (inc. sports extra) is 4.5% (4.5% last quarter and 4.8% last year).

5 live sports extra attracted a record 1.5 million listeners per week, up from 947,000 last quarter and 1m last year.

Amongst digital-only networks, BBC Radio 6 Music attracted 1.73 million listeners per week – from 1.62m last year and 1.79m last quarter – while the BBC Asian Network drew 550,000 listeners - from 584,000 last year and 587,000 last quarter.

BBC World Service posted a UK reach of 1.46 million (from 1.39m last year and 1.36m last quarter), while BBC Local / Regional radio reached 9.26 million listeners per week - from 8.96m last year and 9.54m last year.