PPM Ratings: Country Format Hits New Heights

Arbitron’s Media Insights Manager, Tony Hereau has taken a look at the May PPM headlines and a highlight shows Country posted another all-time high for listening share. Classic Rock also scored big with younger audiences, and Alternative continues adding to its hot spring.

Here’s a look at what he’s seeing in the May data across 45 PPM markets for all listeners 6+, Adults 18-34, and Adults 25-54, during the full week daypart:

Country Hits New Highs (Again): If this headline looks strikingly similar to last month’s, that’s because it is. Country, which has been setting one high-water mark after another in recent years, just topped last month’s all-time high for listening share in PPM markets by doing it again: jumping 3% in the 6+ and 25-54 demos and 9% with 18-34 listeners over its April numbers. It also moved up a spot into third place for national 6+ listening and second place with Adults 25-54, passing AC in both cases.

Classic Rock Picks Up Younger Listeners: Speaking of setting records, Classic Rock has now set its all-time high for PPM in two of the past three months by hitting a 4.3 share (6+) in March and May of this year. But when I dug into the data, I was surprised to see that it has been the 18-34 audience to the format that has really moved the needle. Since last summer, Classic Rock’s 18-34 shares in PPM markets have increased nearly 20%!

Sports’ Batting Average Gets Better: Another full month of Major League Baseball on the airwaves, as well as the run up to the hockey and basketball playoffs, bumped the Sports format’s national batting average another 5% overall as it hit a 4.3 share this May (6+), right on pace with last season’s May results (4.4 share in 2012). Last month, we reported that the format’s 25-54 shares jumped 7% from April to March, and they did so again this month, climbing to a 4.9 share, which is the highest level for sports listening since January’s NFL playoff-driven 5.3.

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