Commercial radio reaches 12.8 million Australians weekly across the five metropolitan markets – up 308,000 listeners, or 2.5% year-on-year.1 Weekly metro audiences have now held above 12 million for four years.
All age demographics, including younger and older audiences, recorded increases for reach and time-spent listening (TSL). With total audience growth in Breakfast, Mornings and Afternoons, and steady delivery in Drive, more Australians are tuning in and listening for longer.
Lizzie Young, CEO of Commercial Radio & Audio, said: “Audiences grew across every age group this survey, and they’re listening longer than they were a year ago. Audiences have now held above 12 million for four years. That kind of breadth and consistency is increasingly rare, increasingly valuable, and it’s an enormous opportunity for brands.
“The CRA Audio ID – the industry’s unified identity solution – enables brands to take advantage of this scale by optimising their campaigns to maximise cross network reach. The benefits of ensuring audio is in your campaign mix are clear from the work Mark Ritson presented at Cannes.”
In June, Professor Mark Ritson presented ‘Audio: the secret to profit and trust’ The findings proved campaigns with audio outperform those without on profit (+75%), trust (+81%), price insensitivity (+81%) and customer acquisition (+19%) – with an average uplift of 22% across 14 measures.2
Despite challenging market conditions across FY26, CRA members grew digital audio revenue 9.2% year-on-year3, outpacing total digital audio market growth of 6.6%4, and now represent 31.2% of the category.3
Total commercial radio revenue for the June quarter was $291.7 million: $160.7 million metro broadcast, $101.0 million regional broadcast and $30.0 million digital audio.3
For the full 2026 survey dates and historical data, visit: https://cra.au/metro-ratings
GfK Metro Survey 6, 2026 results will be released on Thursday 8 October 2026.
Sources: 1. GfK Radio 360 Ratings, SMBAP S5 2026. All people 10+, Mon-Sun 12mn-12mn, Cume (000s), unless otherwise stated. All numbers refer to commercial radio results unless otherwise stated. Historical results available on request. Age Demographics: 10-17, 18-24, 25-39, 40-54, 55-64, 65+ 2. The Secret to Profit and Trust: Audio, presented by Mark Ritson at Cannes Lions, 2026. Based on the Effie x System1 Databank (1,262 UK, Ireland, Europe and US campaigns, 2007 – 2023). 3. CRA revenue results compiled by media analytics firm Milton Data. 4. IAB Australia Internet Advertising Revenue Report (IARR), FY2026