CRA Q1 TOTAL RADIO REVENUE SEES DIGITAL AUDIO SURGE +33% YOY, AS BROADCAST RADIO STAYS STRONG

Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) has reported total radio revenue of $262.1 million for Q1 2025, up 1.2% year-on-year (YOY), powered by surging digital audio adoption and anchored by the enduring strength of broadcast radio.  

Across the quarter total revenues held firm while digital revenues rose 32.7% from $17.2m in Q1 2024 to $22.9m in Q1 2025. 

For the quarter, metro broadcast radio remained stable overall with a flat year-on-year result of $147 million. Regional broadcast radio revenue saw a slight and isolated 3% dip to $92.2 million, driven by a one-off event – Cyclone Alfred. The cyclone caused short-term disruption to local businesses and trading activity across parts of Queensland and NSW in March, leading to a temporary drop in direct advertising in the affected regions.  

Despite this and other macro-economic conditions, the remainder of H1 is tracking to maintain the industry’s overall position of growth. 

“Our audiences have never been higher, and with advertisers recognising our ability to deliver unrivalled reach, results and relevance we are seeing strong demand across our total addressable market of metro and regional radio, digital streaming and podcasting,” said Lizzie Young, CEO of CRA.  

“The power of audio to get brands heard effectively and efficiently, and it’s flexibility to deliver against a range of different objectives, is powerful and translates directly to real results,” Young added.  

Source: CRA revenue results were compiled by media analytics firm Milton Data. Broadcast revenue includes metro and regional advertising, while digital audio encompasses streaming and podcasting.