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Copyright2018 The Nielsen Company (US), LLC. All Rights Reserved.
WELCOME
Technology trends are a bit like fashion trends. They come and go –
oftentimes long forgotten after the craze ends (remember tie dye). But
there’s one notable exception to the technology/fashion trend rule in
the media world – broadcast radio. AM/FM radio is the blue blazer of the
media universe. Who would have believed 100 years after its debut AM/FM
radio would continue to top the charts as the medium that reaches more
consumers each week than any other.
Audio plays a central role in the daily lives of hundreds of millions of
consumers. Broadcast radio specifcally continues to profoundly enrich
the lives of listeners and create value for advertisers. Each week, more
Americans tune into AM/FM radio (93%) than watch television, or use
smartphones, tablets or computers. At the same time, digital streaming
ofers consumers even more ways to listen across many of those same
devices.
270 MILLION AMERICANS 6+ LISTEN TO
RADIO EACH WEEK*
By all accounts audio-based media is in the midst of a new age. In today’s
harried, time-starved world, compelling audio content and expanding
delivery options are helping drive consumer usage. Audio-based news and
entertainment lend themselves well to the multi-tasking reality of modern
day life. At work, in the car, at the ofce, on the way to the store, audio is the
preferred companion to Americans on the move in 2018.
Let’s talk specifcs: According to Nielsen’s ratings data comparing adults
18+, AM/FM radio continues to reach more people each week than any
other medium in the U.S. at 228.5 million consumers, compared with 216.5
million for TV (live, DVR and time-shifted), 203.8 million for app/web on
a smartphone, and 127.6 million for video on a smartphone. Looking at
the audio landscape, broadcast radio’s weekly reach of 228.5 million also
outpaces the 68.5 million for streaming audio, 35.7 million using satellite
radio and 21.9 million consuming podcasts.
Radio plays a special role in our culture. Its audiences are as varied and
diverse as our national makeup. All generations, demographics and
ethnicities are tuning in. That fact has not gone unnoticed by the big
national brands. Billion dollar advertisers are re-discovering the power of
radio and how it can augment, supplement and amplify their media mix.
New ad dollars are fowing to the medium, and major national brand names
that have been absent from commercial radio for decades can once again
BRAD KELLY,
MANAGING DIRECTOR
NIELSEN AUDIO
*See Sourcing & Methodologies page for details about national 6+ audience estimates.
Copyright2018 The Nielsen Company (US), LLC. All Rights Reserved.
PS:Be sure to check out Nielsen Audio’s podcast
“A Guided Tour of Radio”,
now available on Soundcloud, for editorial comment and additional
insights into radio and audio today.
be heard on the air – further evidence that we are entering into an age of
“reawakening” about what radio has to ofer both the general consumer
public, and the ad community.
Welcome to the 2018 Audio Today Report, Nielsen’s snapshot of the listening
landscape. We hope this report will provide you with some new and unique
insights into when, where, and how people listen – both on the radio and
across various platforms and devices. And who knows, we may even dispel a
few myths along the way about how some of the more “fashionable” media
stack up against your old reliable companion, AM/FM radio.
Enjoy.
BRAD
3Copyright2018 The Nielsen Company (US), LLC. All Rights Reserved.Copyright2018 The Nielsen Company (US), LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Source: Nielsen Comparable Metrics Report Q2 2017.
Adults = P18+
TV = Live + DVR/Timeshifted TV
TV Connected Devices = DVD, Game console, Multimedia Device, VCR
WEEKLY U.S. REACH (PERCENT OF POPULATION)
COMPARING WEEKLY REACH
RADIO CONTINUES TO REACH MORE AMERICANS EACH WEEK
THAN ANY OTHER PLATFORM.
TV
88%
90%
94%
78%
93%
95%
92%
92%
AM/FM RADIO
SMARTPHONE
83%
96%
71%
90%
ADULTS 18+
P18-34
P35-49
P50+
TABLET
37%
58%
26%
37%
PC
50%
56%
51%
43%
TV-CONNECTED
DEVICES
47%
56%
36%
56%