Radio’s digital advertising revenue reached a record $2.3 billion in 2025, now accounting for 24.4% of the average station’s total ad revenue and serving as the primary force stabilizing the industry after years of decline, according to the 14th Annual Digital Benchmarking Report released at the 2026 NAB Show.
Borrell Associates CEO Gordon Borrell told NAB Show attendees during a session with the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) that while digital has arrested radio’s long revenue slide and is forecast to grow to $2.5 billion in 2026, many sellers are still not capitalizing on the massive untapped opportunity — particularly the 74% of existing radio customers who are not yet buying the station’s digital products.
Borrell noted that traditional broadcast revenue continues its gradual decline, but strong digital gains have caused overall radio ad revenue to flatline and begin trending slightly upward. Digital has grown dramatically from a $600 million supplement in 2016 to the $2.3 billion engine it is today.
A key theme Borrell emphasized is the low-hanging fruit among current clients: stations already have billing relationships, trust, and brand awareness with these advertisers, making digital upsells far easier than winning new accounts.
Bonneville International VP of Digital Sales Aleece Southern confirmed the pattern exists in every market regardless of size, drawing from her experience building Townsquare Media’s digital business.
Top-performing station clusters generate three to four times more digital revenue than the average in their peer group. Borrell said the difference stems from deliberate strategy: leaders focus on capturing market share by becoming category experts (e.g., auto, HVAC, restaurants) before expanding, rather than simply chasing year-over-year growth.
The Marketron report highlights a shift in the advertiser base: the share of novice local marketers has dropped from 71% in 2018 to 41% in 2025, while master marketers have risen to 34%. Meanwhile, radio’s sales force has shrunk 55% over the past decade.
High-growth stations (projecting 30%+ digital increases) are four times more likely to train sales teams weekly, with training now covering not just radio but also direct mail, SEO, search, and AI.
The session underscored that digital is no longer a side business for radio — it has become the core growth engine, with significant upside remaining for stations that aggressively pursue existing customers and invest in sales development.