The gap between traditional AM/FM broadcast listening and digital consumption of radio station content has narrowed dramatically, with broadcast now accounting for just 54% of time spent with a listener’s favorite station and digital platforms making up 44% — a mere 10-point difference, according to the Jacobs Media Techsurvey 2026.
For the first time in the survey’s 22-year history, the divide has shrunk to single digits, down from a 15-point gap the previous year and a staggering 71-point chasm in 2013, when broadcast dominated at 85% versus 14% digital.
This line graph illustrates the dramatic narrowing over 13 years. Broadcast listening has declined from 85% in 2013 to 54% in 2026, while digital has risen from 14% to 44%. The gap shrank from 71 points to just 10 points.
The findings, drawn from nearly 31,000 responses by core listeners of more than 500 U.S. radio stations, signal a fundamental shift in how audiences access audio content and underscore the urgency for broadcasters to strengthen their digital strategies.
🎧Key Trends and Demographic Variations
Digital listening has surged across multiple platforms, including station apps, website streams, smart speakers, and connected car systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The crossover has already occurred in key segments: digital consumption now exceeds traditional broadcast among Gen Z listeners and sports radio fans, with many other formats and demographics close behind.
The Techsurvey 2026, released Thursday, also highlights growing engagement with related digital video platforms such as YouTube, where 62% of core radio listeners report weekly or more frequent usage.
In 2013, when the tracking began, mobile streaming was emerging and smart speakers did not yet exist. Broadcast listening occurred overwhelmingly on “regular radios” in homes, cars, and workplaces. The rapid closure of the gap reflects broader consumer adoption of smartphones, in-car connectivity, podcasts, and on-demand audio options.
Fred Jacobs, president of Jacobs Media, described the trend as a “megatrend” that requires radio stations to “rethink everything,” regardless of department. He warned digital deniers that they are “swimming upstream” and urged the industry to integrate digital applications into sales, programming, marketing, and content decisions.
While broadcast radio retains strengths, particularly its free, easy access in vehicles, the data indicates an approaching inflection point where digital may surpass traditional delivery.
These pie chart show how the split varies across formats. For example, CHR leans more digital (43%), while formats like Classic Rock remain stronger on broadcast. Sports radio has already flipped to majority digital.
The survey also explores other evolving behaviors, including podcast preferences, push notifications, and concert attendance, providing stations with segmented insights by age, gender, and format.
Jacobs Media presented detailed findings in a free industry webinar emphasizing that core listeners’ habits serve as leading indicators for the wider audience. As external pressures like AI-driven advertising and media fragmentation intensify, stations that fail to close the execution gap on digital risk losing relevance in an increasingly competitive audio landscape.