Talksport and Times Radio recorded the strongest year-on-year growth in weekly reach among news and current affairs stations in the latest RAJAR listening figures.
News UK-owned Talksport, which aired the World Cup during the period, saw its weekly reach increase by 11% to 3.8 million in Q3 2026 versus last year and 2% compared to the previous quarter.
RAJAR defines weekly reach as the number of UK adults who listen to a station for at least five minutes during an average week.
Talksport was the only station to record growth across all measures of weekly reach, total listening hours and average hours per listener. It increased its total listening hours by 8% year on year and 5% quarter on quarter to 24.9 million, and its average hours per listener by 3% to 6.6.
Talksport’s weekly reach overtook LBC, which fell by 3% compared to the previous quarter to 3.6 million in Q3 2026 although it was up 7% year on year.
Talksport’s breakfast programme also recorded the biggest increase in reach on a quarterly basis and yearly basis, up 10% and 14% respectively, again overtaking LBC.
News UK said Talksport’s growth was supported by its position as the official audio rights broadcaster of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, with the event allowing the station to deliver 24/7 coverage and live commentary for all 104 matches.
The quarter saw Talksport mark its most listened-to day in history when England made it to the semi-finals, with other highlights including becoming the first official commercial broadcast partner of The Commonwealth Games in the UK.
News UK’s Times Radio recorded the second-biggest increase in weekly reach compared to last year, up 10% to 619,000. The station’s coverage highlights included former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s resignation speech, and subsequent news around the arrival of Andy Burnham as PM.
Times Radio remains behind GB News (on 632,000) in weekly listeners. GB News overtook Times Radio in Q3 2025, having previously surpassed it in Q2 and Q3 2024.
Scott Taunton, News UK executive vice president and president of broadcasting, said: “This has been an extraordinary quarter that cements News Broadcasting’s position as the UK’s undisputed digital-first audio and video operator. With an incredible 87% of our listening on digital platforms, our investment in multi-platform journalism is delivering record-breaking engagement across screen and speaker.
“From Talksport’s wall-to-wall World Cup coverage delivering an all-time record in listening hours for the network, to Times Radio hitting new records for its individual shows and launching its continuous visual live stream on Youtube, our output is setting the industry standard.”
Times Radio’s year-on-year growth was followed by three LBC stations, with LBC News and LBC each growing their weekly reach by 7% to 1.1 million listeners and 3.6 million respectively. Next was LBC News (London), up 6% to 472,000.
LBC News (London) recorded the biggest growth in total listening hours, up by 20% quarter on quarter and year on year to 1.9 million, and average hours per listener, which increased by more than a quarter (28%) to 4.1.
BBC stations record year-on-year declines
BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4 continue to have the biggest weekly reach with 12.7 million and 8.7 million respectively.
The BBC said presenter Sara Cox’s new breakfast show on Radio 2, which launched in July, helped boost its reach on a quarter on quarter basis, up 2%.
However the BBC stations in Press Gazette’s RAJAR analysis all saw a year-on-year decline in weekly reach, with the biggest drop at BBC World Service, down 9% to 996,000.
This was followed by the UK Government announcing new funding for the World Service in March, with £11m per year for the next three years representing an 8% increase on its total £137m contribution from last year.
Meanwhile Radio 4 saw its reach decline by 2% year on year and 3% quarter on quarter. Sister station BBC Radio 4 Extra is set to close as part of extensive cost-saving cuts at the BBC.
Talk and Today programme see biggest year-on-year decline in RAJARs Q3 2026
BBC Radio 5 Live followed Talksport for biggest growth among news and current affairs breakfast programmes.
In a strong quarter for sports-based radio, 5 Live, the BBC’s principle radio station covering sport in the UK, overtook LBC’s UK breakfast programme, recording the second-highest growth year on year (up 13%) and quarter on quarter (up 8%) to 1.4 million.
The BBC said 5 Live’s growth was led by major political news stories, quality sport and Rick Edwards’ reporting from the US during the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
News UK’s Talk, formerly Talkradio, saw the biggest decline in breakfast listenership year on year, down 10% to 254,000.
Next was the Today programme, BBC Radio 4’s flagship breakfast show, which dropped 3% to 5.3 million.
The period saw the exit of Today programme host Amol Rajan who left after almost five years to start his own business. Rajan has not been replaced as the BBC cut the number of permanent presenters from five to four to save money.
On a quarterly basis, GB News saw the biggest decline in reach during Q3 2026, down 18% to 267,000. Compared to last year, its listenership figure remained unchanged.
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