Just Released: State of Audio - Trends Report

Demand for Premium Content Drive Audacy Performance

By Idil Cakim, SVP Research & Insights,

Audacy’s digital audience grows with relentless pace and consistency — a testament to the engaging qualities of our premium audio content and advertiser demand. In March, Audacy TLH showed a whopping MOM increase of +22%, well ahead of key players in the market.1 As of April, the audio platform has delivered double-digit growth in Total Listening Hours (TLH) for nine straight months — the only publisher to do so.

The driving force behind our success is our trusted AM/FM content audiences seek and follow across platforms. In fact, as of April, our News and News Talk stations are up +61% year-over-year in TLH. Smart speakers are reaching new heights with 90% YOY growth. Audiences’ lives may have shifted to a new normal during the COVID-19 crisis, but they have carried their favorite stations with them and tuned in with greater intent. AUDACY smart speaker listening has increased +12% from pre-COVID times (weeks of 4/5 – 5/2 vs 2/2 – 2/292). Mobile listening is also up (+2%) as compared to before the crisis3.

Our AM/FM music content provides comfort also to digital audiences during these difficult times. Audacy music listening is up +8% and smart speakers are blasting (+96%, YOY). Audiences are particularly drawn to popular stations such as WXRT. This station’s listening is up +16% from pre-COVID times.4

Despite no active games, our content is gathering sports communities and keeping fans hooked. In April, the NFL Draft was a major attraction for our audience, driving sports listening +17% YOY. The fans’ enthusiasm around the NFL draft was also evident in Audacy Rewind sessions which increased +88%. NFL-related listening was strong across devices: Smart speaker listening was up +73%, mobile followed suit with a notable lift of 15%.5

The platform’s robust performance was what advertisers needed in a time when many brands struggle to reach and engage the right audience. With 40 million users staying connected through Audacy content, we delivered. Compared to Q1 average, April sell-through rates and CPMs both increased significantly as advertisers connected with addressable audio listeners across platforms, bolstering their brands, driving traffic to their businesses and converting shoppers to buyers. Audacys continued growth and success across locations and devices confirms the durability of digital audio’s growth and the relevance of our brands and content for our fans.

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SOURCES

1Source: Triton Digital WCM, US M-Su 6a-12m, March 2020.
2Source: Triton Digital WCM, Feb-May 2020.
3Source: Triton WCM, April 2020.
4Source: Triton WCM, April 2020.
5Thu – Mon vs prior year Thu-Mon, Triton WCM, April 2020.

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