RTÉ lyric fm increases its share to 2.7% 

With new listeners, new voices, and new audiences, RTÉ continues to lead the way according to the latest JNLR radio listenership figures released today.  

• With a 29.2% market share, RTÉ’s radio services are the most-listened-to in Ireland for All Adults

• Almost 3.5 million adults tune into radio every weekday, with over 2 million tuning in to RTÉ

• RTÉ Radio 1 is the first choice for adults aged 35–54 nationwide

• RTÉ 2FM continues to be the most-popular radio station in the country for 15 to 34-year-olds

• With 17 of the top 20 programmes and the entire top 10, RTÉ continues to deliver trusted content, fresh voices, and dynamic programming for all demographics

• RTÉ Radio 1 remains the only station with a weekly reach of over 1 million/ 32.2%

Speaking on the latest figures, Patricia Monahan, Director of Audio, RTÉ said:    

“We are privileged that so many listeners continue to choose to engage with us every week making RTÉ stations the most-listened-to in Ireland. We are particularly delighted to welcome new and younger listeners as we expand our reach and relevance to new audiences.  

RTÉ Radio 1 is the most-popular station in Ireland, reaching 1.3 million listeners every week, and has grown its share of 35–54-year-olds, outperforming all other stations in that demographic. RTÉ 2FM retains its position as the most-listened-to by 15–34-year-olds, now reaching 714,000 listeners every week. RTÉ lyric fm builds on a consistent period of growth, reaching 320,000 listeners every week. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta also sees an increase in its share of audience now reaching 97,000 listeners every week as it continues to play a crucial role in supporting our language and culture. 

We are now looking forward to a busy summer as all our stations will be out and about across the country engaging with listeners. RTÉ lyric fm will lead the way at Bloom on the June Bank Holiday weekend. Run with Ray will be back on RTÉ Radio 1. 2FM will bring you behind-the-scenes at the biggest music festivals, and RnaG will be live from The Willie Clancy Summer School, and that is just a flavour of what we have lined up.  We also have a new podcast series from the RTÉ Documentary on One team, Stolen Sister, which will be available from the end of this month."  

RTÉ Radio 1    

• RTÉ Radio 1 reaches 1,378,000 listeners weekly.
• Morning Ireland remains Ireland’s most-listened-to radio programme with 471,000 listeners this book (+2,000 YoY).
• Oliver Callan  airing 9-10am Monday-Friday has 355,000 listeners each day (+25,000 YoY).
• Today with Claire Byrne has 348,000 listeners tuning in every weekday from 10am-12noon  (+7,000 YoY).
• The Louise Duffy Show has 223,000 listeners (+5,000 YoY) tuning in for great music.
• News at One has 297,000 listeners.
• Liveline with Joe Duffy has a listenership of 307,000 (+6,000 YoY).
• The Ray D'Arcy Show  weekday afternoons on RTÉ Radio 1 has 192,000 listeners (+11,000 YoY).
• Drivetime has 221,000 listeners tuning in each evening (+1,000 YoY).
• Over on Weekends, Brendan O’Connor on Saturday has 363,000 listeners (+11,000 YoY), with 369,000 listeners tuning in on Sunday (+14,000 YoY).
• Playback on Saturday has 335,000 listeners.
• The Business on Saturday mornings has 320,000 listeners.
• Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin has 204,000 listeners.
• Saturday Sport/Doc On One from 2-6pm on RTÉ Radio 1 has 199,000 listeners.
• Sunday Miscellany has 284,000 listeners.
• Sunday with Miriam has 304,000 listeners.
• This Week has 184,000 listeners on Sunday.
• Arena has 49,000 listeners every weekday (+8,000 YoY).
• The John Creedon Show has 58,000 listeners on weeknights (+6,000 YoY).
• Starting off the mornings, Rising Time has 51,000 listeners on weekdays (+3,000 YoY).

Tara Campbell, Head of RTÉ Radio 1, said: 

"This is another solid book for RTÉ Radio 1, re-affirming our position as the most-listened-to station in the country. We've seen particularly strong performances across many of our weekday and weekend morning programmes and we're now the top destination for listeners aged 35 to 54. I want to acknowledge the hard work of our talented presenters and production teams in the breadth of content they offer our audiences everyday across news and current affairs, music, drama, entertainment and sport.” 

RTÉ 2FM   

The new daytime and weekend schedules are now in action and already resonating with listeners, as 2FM brings fresh energy, diverse voices, and entertaining content, continuing the station’s proud legacy of shaping the future of broadcasting.

• RTÉ 2FM is the most-popular radio station in the country for 15 to 34-year-olds.
• 2FM Breakfast has 148,000 listeners tuning in on weekday mornings (+5,000 YoY).
• Laura Fox on 2FM has 127,000 listeners to her 9-12pm show.
• The Tracy Clifford Show has 109,000 listeners enjoying the best of Irish music and the home of RTÉ 2FM Rising.
• 2FM Drive with Doireann Garrihy entertains listeners across the country on their evening commute with 133,000 listeners.
• Game On has 41,000 listeners tuning in weeknights (+4,000 YoY).
• Weekend on 2FM with Bláthnaid Treacy on Saturdays has 158,000 listeners (+29,000 YoY), and Sunday 135,000 (+15,000 YoY).
• 2FM Weekend Breakfast with Helen & Benny has 65,000 listeners (+12,000 YoY).
• 2FM Weekend Afternoon with Aindriú & Taran/Demi & Mikey has 122,000 listeners.
• 2FM Weekend Drive with Aifric O’Connell/Conor Behan/Emma & Graham has 103,000 listeners (+32,000 YoY).

Dan Healy, Head of RTÉ 2FM, said:

“It is reassuring that 2FM remains the largest station for 15- to 34-year-olds (11.3% prime time share) in Ireland which is a great platform for the new schedule to build from. The new schedule has settled in quickly and we are confident that it meets the needs of younger audiences. The new 2FM schedule was launched a couple of weeks before the end of this survey period, therefore today's results does not reflect the performance of the station that is on air today. I think these listenership results are a fair reflection of the past 12 months that saw a period of change for 2FM. 

If the current weather is anything to go by, we are going to have a wonderful summer of music at the festivals and 2FM will see you at all of them.”  

RTÉ lyric fm  

• RTÉ lyric fm reaches 320,000 listeners on a weekly basis.
• Marty in the Morning has 71,000 listeners (+17,000 YoY) tuning in every weekday morning.
• Aedín Gormley's Movies and Musicals every Saturday afternoon has 65,000 listeners  (+7,000 YoY).
• Sunday Afternoon with Simon Delaney has 68,000 listeners (+18,000 YoY).
• Claudia Boyle's Weekend Classics has 57,000 listeners (+21,000 YoY) on Saturdays and 48,000 listeners on Sundays (+10,000 YoY).
• Niall Carroll's Classical Drivetime on weekdays has 41,000 listeners.
• Liz Nolan's The Full Score/ Aedín in the Afternoon (Friday) have 50,000 listeners.   (+6,000 YoY).
• Lorcan Murray's Classic Drive takes 59,000 listeners into the evening each weekday (+3,000 YoY).
• The Mystery Train with John Kelly (Mon-Thurs)/ RTÉ lyric Live with RTÉ lyric Live with Paul Herriott (Fri) has 33,000 listeners (+11,000 YoY).
• The Hamilton Scores with George Hamilton has 51,000 listeners (+7,000 YoY) on Saturdays and 52,000 (+8,000 YoY) on Sundays.

Sinéad Wylde, Head of RTÉ lyric fm, said:

“Delighted that RTÉ lyric fm continues to connect and grow new audiences from early in the morning with Marty Whelan's Marty in the Morning seeing an extra 17,000 new listeners (YoY) right through to evenings and The Mystery Train with John Kelly/ RTÉ lyric Live with Paul Herriott gaining 11,000 new listeners (YoY). 

The weekends too have seen great growth with Aedín Gormley's Movies and Musicals gaining 7,000 new listeners (YoY) and The Hamilton Scores attracting 7,000 new listeners on Saturday and 8,000 on Sunday since last year. New shows and new voices on the station are resonating strongly with audiences: Weekend Classics with Claudia Boyle has attracted 21,000 new listeners on Saturday and 10,000 on Sundays (YoY), and Sunday Afternoon with Simon Delaney has 18,000 new listeners (YoY). Increasingly, RTÉ lyric fm where life sounds better has a place in listeners lives.” 

Further information:   

Maureen Catterson, RTÉ Communications Manager