Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) has welcomed the GfK Metro Survey 3, 2026 results. Commercial radio reaches 12.8 million Australians weekly – up 350,000 listeners year-on-year (YOY).
Nearly four consecutive years of audiences above 12 million reinforce the medium's resilience and scale with growth recorded across breakfast, daytime, and drive dayparts. All demographics and listening locations also experienced growth.1
Lizzie Young, CEO of CRA, said: “In uncertain times, audiences turn to what they trust. Week after week, listeners choose commercial radio for news, entertainment and connection. That consistency matters. It gives brands the opportunity to reach Australians at scale while building the kind of trusted relationships that drive long-term results.”
The audience case is matched by the commercial one. For every dollar invested in radio, brands see two dollars back - second only to social, outperforming video, TV, out-of-home, search and connected TV.2 In an economic climate where budgets are under pressure, audio's ability to strengthen and defend pricing at almost double the level of campaigns without audio earns its place on every media plan.3
Investment in CRA Audio ID means brands can now plan, buy and measure that reach with the precision, transparency and scale that advertisers expect.
For the full 2026 survey dates and historical data, visit: https://cra.au/metro-ratings
Sources: 1. GfK Radio 360 Ratings, SMBAP S3 2026, historical results from S5 2022 – S3 2026, All people 10+, Mon-Sun 12mn-12mn, Cume (000's), unless otherwise stated. All numbers refer to commercial radio results unless otherwise stated. All Demographics: 10-17, 18-24, 25-39, 40-54, 55-64, 65+. 2. 2025 Nielsen Global Annual Marketing Survey: Nielsen Global Compass MMM Benchmarks (USD$). 3. Advertising Council Australia's (ACA) Effectiveness Database (2018–2025).