ESPN Audio Accounts for Over Half of All Sports Listening

The 2021 Share of Ear from Edison Research – a national study with 2,078 respondents that measures time spent listening – recently released its finding across the industry. The survey found that ESPN Audio accounts for over half of all sports listening, at 53 percent, marking a nine percentage point increase in the same category from 2020. In addition, more than one in five Americans listened to ESPN Audio every day, according to the survey.

ESPN Audio was also shown to account for 63 percent of the digital sports listening space and 47 percent of the terrestrial sports audio space, both up a significant 8 percentage points from 2020, respectively.

“These results further emphasize the importance of being available for fans across platforms and on-demand,” said Amanda Gifford, ESPN vice president, content strategy and audio. “We continue to strive to super-serve the terrestrial audience while always evolving with countless digital options and expanding the reach of our shows and hosts for a more customized and easily accessible experience for listeners.”

The 2021 Edison Research results also marked an all-time milestone in the time spent listening category. ESPN Audio recorded its highest average weekly time spent listening, at 3 hours and 24 minutes, since the survey began in 2014 – two minutes higher than the previous high point of 3 hours and 22 minutes recorded in 2019 and 2014.

Larry Rosin, President of Edison Research, added, “Given that ESPN is leveraging audio across the entire audio space – broadcast radio, satellite, podcasts and streaming, no other research project can reflect that totality like Share of Ear. We are proud to work with ESPN Audio to help them and their clients understand the totality of audio and all the ways the modern audio consumer is being reached.”