Xperi Corporation, a leader in connected car audio technologies via its DTS AutoStage Broadcaster Portal, reported a robust uptick in in-vehicle listening to Christmas music during the Thanksgiving weekend (November 27–December 1, 2025).
Drawing from real-time data across over 11 million vehicles equipped with HD Radio and DTS AutoStage—spanning 150 countries and various market sizes—the portal tracked 15 select stations flipping to holiday formats.
The result: an average 40% increase in audience share as the week progressed from pre-Thanksgiving buildup to full post-holiday immersion. This aligns with seasonal patterns where in-car tuning spikes during family road trips and commutes, underscoring radio's enduring role as the "third space" for entertainment amid rising streaming competition.
Key Data Insights:
Week-by-Week MomentumXperi's analytics, which monitor listener location, duration, and content preferences, highlighted progressive gains tied to the holiday pivot. While exact station-level breakdowns remain proprietary (available to broadcasters via the portal), aggregated trends from the 15 monitored outlets (mix of large, mid, and small markets) paint a clear picture:
This 40% lift reinforces Country and AC formats' holiday dominance—mirroring November PPM gains for stations like LA's WLIT (+4.9 to 6.0)—but spotlights in-car specifics.
Post-pandemic, vehicle listening has rebounded 13% YoY per Xperi, with audio claiming 70% of in-car time (vs. 20% video/gaming). Broadcasters flipping early (e.g., Nov 1 launches) captured 25% more cume than late switchers, per portal benchmarks.
Challenges include streaming erosion (Spotify holiday playlists up 30% but trailing radio airplay by 1–2 weeks), yet Xperi's data empowers targeted ads—e.g., geo-fenced promos for drive-thru deals during peak tuning.