The Shamima Begum Story tops podcast list

And live music stations see audiences grow - BBC Radio and BBC Sounds listening Quarter 1 2023

More than 32.2 million people listened to BBC Radio stations live each week during the first quarter of 2023, while BBC Sounds reached record audiences, with more than 4.6m weekly listeners across all platforms

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


NEWS PROVIDED BY
BBC Sounds

During the first quarter of 2023, BBC Radio & BBC Sounds continued to serve audiences across the UK with high-quality music and speech content, both live and on-demand.

More than 32.2 million people listened to BBC Radio stations live each week during the first quarter of 2023, according to new RAJARs. Many of the BBC’s music networks gained audiences from the last quarter with their distinctive content from live recordings to specialist music shows, including BBC Radio 1Xtra, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 6 Music.

BBC Sounds reached record audiences, with more than 4.6m weekly listeners across all platforms.

As listening habits change, audiences are increasingly listening to the BBC’s audio content on-demand, whenever and wherever they want to. This was especially the case for BBC Radio 4, which saw a significant 15.1% increase in the number of plays of its content compared to last year (Q1 2022). The station, which earlier this month won the much coveted Station of the Year award at ARIAS, also secured eight of the top 10 most listened to on demand radio programmes on BBC Sounds, and five of the top 10 most downloaded BBC podcasts globally on third party platforms.

Overall, BBC Sounds had a record 207 million plays for on-demand radio programmes, podcasts and music mixes, up from 179 million plays in the same quarter a year ago. I'm Not A Monster - The Shamima Begum Story, which was also broadcast on BBC Radio 4, was the most popular podcast on BBC Sounds, opening up new approaches to investigative journalism alongside other investigative series like Gangster: The Story of John Palmer, Love Bombed and Assume Nothing: The Hunt for Typhoid Mary.

Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer, says: “Our brilliant music stations drew in audiences with their expert DJs, and Radio 2 with its incredible 14.46 million listeners delighted everyone with its unique content offer, which in this quarter put a spotlight on specialist music with programming such as 21st Century Folk, Country to Country music festival and Piano Room month with 20 live performances all accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra.

“With more people listening on-demand, we’ve upped our editorial ambition for BBC Sounds and it is paying dividends, as BBC Sounds is repeatedly reaching record numbers and our investigative podcasts like the eye-opening The Shamima Begum Story are proving hugely popular. With Radio 4 we’re adapting to meet the changing listening needs of our audiences and have risen to the challenge with on-demand listening for the station up by 15.1% year on year with its programming dominating the most listened to charts. The quality of content is world class and Radio 4 remains the home for trusted and impartial news, thought provoking current affairs, ground breaking documentaries, and boundary pushing comedy, arts and drama.”

RAJARs

According to new RAJAR figures for the final quarter of the year, capturing live listening only across all platforms, BBC Radio reached 32.2 million each week, with a share of 46.3%.

BBC Radio 1 had 8.40m listeners aged 10+ and the Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James (Mon-Fri) had 4.64m 10+ listeners.

BBC Radio 2 had 14.46m listeners with 7.26m tuning in for The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show.

BBC Radio 3 had 1.93m listeners.

BBC Radio 4 had 9.40m listeners with 5.92m tuning in for The Today programme (Mon-Sat).

BBC Radio 5 Live posted a reach of 5.1m listeners.

BBC Radio 6 Music had 2.71m listeners, BBC Radio 1Xtra had 792k, BBC Radio 4 Extra had 1.67m, BBC 5 Sports Extra had 1.1m, and BBC Asian Network had 444k.

The BBC World Service was listened to by 1.09m people, and BBC Nations radio and Local BBC Radio in England had a combined audience of 7.4m.

BBC Sounds

BBC Sounds had a record 436 million live and on-demand plays across radio, podcasts and music mixes between January and March this year, an increase of 7.7% on the same period last year.

More and more people are turning to BBC Sounds to hear their shows at a time suitable to them, with a record 207 million on-demand plays - compared to 179 million plays in Q1 of 2022.

The latest data shows there was a record average weekly audience of 4.6 million users across the app, website and voice activated devices, with a record peak of 4.75 million.

The multi award-winning I'm Not A Monster returned in January with The Shamima Begum Story becoming the most listened to podcast overall and for listeners under 35 during a record quarter.

Investigative podcasts I’m Not A Monster - The Shamima Begum Story, Gangster: The Story Of John Palmer, Love Bombed and Assume Nothing: Typhoid Mary were among the most popular podcasts overall

The Shamima Begum Story was also the most popular podcast for listeners under 35, followed by Newscast and You’re Dead To Me

Pressed podcast had the highest proportion of listeners under 35 followed by Going Home with Vick and Jordan, and All Day Breakfast with Greg James

The Archers was the most listened to on demand radio programme followed by Desert Island Discs

Comedy titles proved popular this quarter with The News Quiz, Infinite Monkey Cage and Friday Night Comedy all among the top ten on demand radio programmes

BBC Radio 1 Anthems was the most listened to on demand radio programme by under 35s, with The Archers, Elis James and John Robins, and In Our Time also among the top ten

Sleeping Forecast was the most popular music mix followed by Sounds Of The 90s with Fearne Cotton and Mindful Mix

In total there was a total 222 million global podcast downloads across the world between January and March 2023

Remaining steady this quarter, 52% of all plays on BBC Sounds last quarter came from live listeners compared to 48% who listened on-demand. 

Source BBC Sounds

May 18, 2023 3:00am ET by Pressparty  

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