• In line with RAJAR’s information release on Tuesday (28th July), door to door audience surveys were not possible during Q2 2020 due to Covid-19. Q2 2020 RAJAR numbers are based on the Q1 surveys, but run on a 12 month roll to provide a larger sample. They also include up to date census data. Global is therefore releasing our key RAJAR statistics as we normally would, based on these numbers.

The connected digital numbers contained in this release also cover the same period, Q2 2020 and are from Global’s own servers and are contemporary. Active sessions are the number of times a person used a connected device to listen to a Global station for at least 60 seconds. Hours are the total hours listened to listen to a Global station via the Global Player app on a connected device.

GLOBAL REPORTS SURGE IN CONNECTED DIGITAL LISTENING

GLOBAL REMAINS THE UK’S NUMBER 1 COMMERCIAL RADIO COMPANY

CONNECTED LISTENING:

CONNECTED LISTENING SESSIONS INCREASE 40% YEAR ON YEAR ACROSS GLOBAL’S RADIO STATIONS

CONNECTED LISTENING HOURS RISE 59% YEAR ON YEAR THROUGH GLOBAL PLAYER

CONNECTED RADIO AUDIENCES CONTINUE TO GROW AT PACE IN Q2 AS THE UK ADAPTS TO A NEW NORMAL

Connected listening to Global stations through Global Player continues to boom amid the global pandemic, according to new insight released today from Global, the Media & Entertainment group.

Global, Europe’s largest radio company and home of Capital, Heart, Smooth, Classic FM, LBC, Radio X, Capital XTRA, Gold and Global Player, first reported a boost in connected listening across its entire portfolio of radio brands in early March, as many people began working remotely. This latest insight reports huge growth year-on-year and throughout Q2 (30th March 2020 – 21st June 2020).

Overall at Global:
Year on year, Global reports connected listening sessions across its portfolio of radio brands have risen 40% whilst listening hours have shot up 59%. As the country continued lockdown and social isolation, Global saw listening sessions to its radio stations increase 8% and hours climb 14% quarter on quarter.

The data indicates that people have turned to radio for escapism, company, light-hearted entertainment, as well as a constant and trusted source of up-to-date news.

In addition to data obtained via Global Player, Global conducted eight waves of tracking with partners, Dynata, engaging with more than 8,400 people since 18th March. The survey confirmed that 42% of people said that they now listen to more radio.

Heart:
The UK’s biggest commercial radio brand, home of feel good, has seen connected listening soar in the last quarter, increasing its sessions by 18% and hours 15%.

Heart’s new era stations, Heart 70s, 80s and 90s, enjoyed a 40% increase in active sessions and 36% increase in hours over the last quarter. These new stations made a huge start in RAJAR and are showing their continued growth in this period.

Capital:
The UK’s number one hit music brand has seen listening sessions increase 13% and hours grow 15% in Q2.

LBC:
Leading Britain’s conversation, from Brexit to Coronavirus, LBC has seen connected listening hours rise 54% in the past year, while active sessions have increased a huge 42%. In Q2, LBC’s exclusive phone-ins with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer helped boost connected hours by 8% in the past quarter.

Smooth:
Nostalgia prevailed as a key theme over the past three months, as listeners craved normality and familiarity again. Connected listening for Smooth surged in Q2. Hours grew 78% and sessions increased by 67% year on year.

Classic FM:
The UK’s largest Classical music station also enjoyed a surge in connected listening with an increase of 21% in active sessions and hours growing 37% year on year.

Capital XTRA:
Capital XTRA has seen listening sessions increase 21% and hours grow 25% in Q2.

Radio X:
Connected hours rocketed 73% and sessions increased 42% year on year, and Radio X enjoyed a 27% growth in hours quarter on quarter.

Global Player:
Global has seen podcast listening rise 17% in the last quarter. Global Player’s huge offering and wide feature set, offering all of Global’s content in one place, its huge range of podcasts, playlists, live radio and MY radio feature, along with catch up and real time listening and real time news, have made Global Player a must have app during lockdown and beyond.

FROM RAJAR Q2 2020:

GLOBAL LEADS THE UK COMMERCIAL RADIO MARKET WITH 25m WEEKLY LISTENERS

GLOBAL HAS THE TOP FOUR COMMERCIAL RADIO BRANDS IN THE UK
HEART, CAPITAL, SMOOTH AND CLASSIC FM

GLOBAL HAS THE NUMBER 1 COMMERCIAL STATIONS IN LONDON FOR REACH AND HOURS & SHARE, WITH CAPITAL AND LBC RESPECTIVELY

CAPITAL BREAKFAST WITH ROMAN KEMP IS THE NUMBER 1 COMMERCIAL BREAKFAST SHOW IN LONDON FOR REACH WITH 897,000 LISTENERS PER WEEK

LBC’S NICK FERRARI AT BREAKFAST IS THE MOST LISTENED TO COMMERCIAL BREAKFAST SHOW IN LONDON WITH A 7.5% MARKET SHARE

LBC CONTINUES TO LEAD BRITAIN’S CONVERSATION WITH 2.7M LISTENERS EACH WEEK

HEART BREAKFAST WITH JAMIE THEAKSTON & AMANDA HOLDEN IS THE UK’S LARGEST COMMERCIAL BREAKFAST SHOW REACHING A HUGE 4.4M LISTENERS ACROSS THE UK EACH WEEK

CLASSIC FM CEMENTS ITS POSITION AT THE UK’S MOST POPULAR CLASSICAL MUSIC STATION WITH 5.5M WEEKLY LISTENERS

HEART:
• biggest commercial radio brand with 9.6m people tuning in every week.
• Nationally, Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston & Amanda Holden has a massive 4.4m weekly listeners – the UK’s biggest commercial radio show.

LBC:
• Leading Britain’s Conversation, LBC reaches 2.7m listeners across the UK each week.
• Across the UK, LBC’s Nick Ferrari at Breakfast reaches 1.3m listeners each week.
• In London, LBC is the no.1 commercial station for hours and share – with 7% share of the market and 14m hours.
• Nick Ferrari at Breakfast is London’s no.1 commercial breakfast show for hours and share, with 806,000 listeners each week.

CAPITAL:
• Capital remains the UK’s no.1 hit music brand with 7.9m weekly listeners.
• Nationally, Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp reaches a massive 3.5m weekly listeners and remains one of the top two commercial breakfast shows in the UK, second only to Heart Breakfast.
• In London, Capital is the no.1 commercial radio station for reach with 1.7m weekly listeners.
• Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp is also London’s no.1 commercial breakfast show again, reaching 897,000 weekly listeners.

CAPITAL XTRA:
• Capital XTRA reaches a huge 1.9m people across the UK every week.
• The all-new Capital XTRA Breakfast Show with Yinka and Shayna Marie reaches 762,000 weekly listeners.

SMOOTH:
• Smooth is the UK’s third largest commercial radio brand with 5.7m people tuning in each week.

CLASSIC FM:
• Classic FM again cements its position as the UK’s most popular classical music station, with 5.5m weekly listeners.

RADIO X:
• Nationally, Radio X reaches 1.7m listeners every week.
• At breakfast, Chris Moyles reaches 968,000 weekly listeners.

THE OFFICIAL BIG TOP 40:
• The Official Big Top 40 attracts 1.4m weekly listeners and is officially the UK’s biggest chart show.

GOLD:
• Gold reaches an audience of more than 1.3m listeners every week.

“I’m incredibly proud that Global brands continue to lead the commercial radio market with the top 4
UK commercial stations, Heart, Capital, Smooth and Classic FM.

"Over the past 4 months, as the world has gone through incredibly challenging times, people’s daily habits have shifted and we have all made huge adaptations in our lives. However, radio has remained a constant source of information, entertainment, company and comfort.

"Our stations have created some unforgettable moments for listeners in the last quarter, from making key worker Tommy Norton one million pounds richer on Heart, to celebrating the Best of Capital’s Summertime Ball with a spectacular live show that was broadcast and streamed worldwide.

"But most of all, we were honoured to be there for our listeners across the UK in these unprecedented times, be it to inform and update, entertain or escape.

"Our connected listening figures show how millions more listeners engaged with Global in this period, across many different platforms, be it on-air or on Global Player via our apps, the web or smart speakers.

"We continue to focus on producing the nation’s favourite radio and I would like to sincerely thank the team at Global for their exceptional creativity, hard work and resilience in this period.” - ASHLEY TABOR-KING OBE, FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL