Nielsen has released all Spring 2025 (April-May-June) Portable People Meter markets. And there are significant increases in listening across demographics and time periods versus Fall 2024.
Key findings:
- Among persons 25-54, AM/FM radio PPM AQH have soared by +19%. Weekends and nights have the greatest growth compared to Fall 2024.
- Spring 2025 PPM audience growth is consistently strong (+17% to +19%) across all demographics versus Fall 2024.
- Spring 2025 PPM format shares are remarkably stable. The rising PPM tide raises all format boats.
- Nielsen Nationwide projection: Total U.S. AM/FM radio listening is up +7%.
PPM Spring 2025 format shares are remarkably stable:
According to Pierre Bouvard,Chief Insights Officer of the Westwood One Audio Active Group®, there are Four implications of PPM listening increases:
- The trend of AM/FM radio surpassing TV in ratings will accelerate: Over the last five years, AM/FM radio has overtaken linear TV in ratings. Based on TV and AM/FM radio audience forecasts, 2026 will see AM/FM radio likely overtake linear TV in the all-important 25-54 demographic and widen its ratings lead over TV among 18-49s.
- 2025 post-buy analyses will overachieve 2024 media plans: In PPM markets, expect increases in audience deliveries based on prior year schedules. For local buys, outcomes will vary by demographic, markets utilized, and AM/FM radio programming format mix. For total U.S. media plans using Nielsen’s Nationwide survey, deliveries will grow by low/mid-single digits. Differences will result due to the mix of diary versus PPM market composition in network lineups as well as AM/FM radio programming format mix.
- AM/FM radio, already America’s number one mass reach media, will experience reach growth in advertising schedules: With PPM now reporting higher AM/FM radio reach levels, campaign reach will experience growth. Since reach is the foundation of advertising effectiveness, this is a positive for AM/FM radio’s performance in media mix modeling analysis.
- With a three-minute quarter hour qualification, stations can create more breaks of shorter duration, which will significantly benefit advertisers. AM/FM radio ads will become more effective as stations increase the number of commercial breaks with shorter durations. Since the introduction of the Portable Meter, most AM/FM radio stations schedule their two commercial breaks around 15 and 45 minutes past the hour. This strategy was designed to maximize five-minute listening durations.
A massive Portable People Meter study of 17,896,325 unique commercial breaks involving 61,902,473 minutes of advertising conducted by Nielsen, Media Monitors, and Coleman Research reveals the shorter the ad break, the greater the audience retention.
➤GO DEEPER: Here