Insights: Radio Plays Powerful Role In Media Plans

Streaming video brands are turning to AM/FM radio like never before. 

This past fall, a major streaming service used the NFL on Westwood One to tout their service. CUMULUS MEDIA | Westwood One retained Nielsen to measure the impact of the streaming service’s AM/FM radio investment. Nielsen conducted a national study and compared consumers who had been exposed to the NFL AM/FM radio campaign to those who were not exposed.

  This week’s blog outlines the key findings.

• Nielsen found the NFL AM/FM radio campaign generated a +18% growth in brand recommendation and an impressive +26% increase in average brand attribute.
• The NFL AM/FM radio campaign generated extraordinary levels of purchase intent. 12% of those unexposed indicated they might subscribe to the video streamer in the next month. Among those exposed to the NFL AM/FM radio campaign, 45% indicated they would probably/definitely subscribe in the coming month.
• AM/FM radio is better than TV at promoting streaming video-on-demand services: Nielsen found that heavy AM/FM radio listeners subscribe to more streaming video services than heavy TV viewers. Heavy TV viewers subscribe to 3.8 streaming video services while heavy AM/FM radio listeners subscribe to 4.5 streaming services.
• Nielsen found that heavy AM/FM radio listeners are far more likely to subscribe to the major video streaming services compared to heavy TV viewers. Regardless of the service, whether Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, or YouTube TV, a greater proportion of AM/FM radio listeners subscribe versus TV viewers.
• Nielsen: AM/FM radio listeners are bigger users of streaming video because of higher income, employment, and larger households with a greater presence of children.