Irish radio generated revenues of €79.4 million in the first half of 2025, an increase of 2% compared to the same period in 2024. The €79.4 million in revenue from January to June 2025 comprised €61.3 million in spot revenue (radio commercials), which was up 3% year-on-year. Branded content revenue (including sponsorships, partnerships, and content solutions) totalled €14.5 million, down 2.9%, while digital audio revenue reached €3.6 million, up 4.1%. The digital audio figure reflects revenue from Irish radio operators only and does not include income from global audio platforms such as Spotify or Acast.
Revenue from media agencies amounted to €56 million, up 3.3%, while direct revenue from advertisers was €23.4 million, down 1.2%.
Quarter 2 revenue —covering the April to June period — was particularly strong, with the sector experiencing growth of 3.4%, driven by a very strong performance in June.
The main drivers of sector revenue in the first half of 2025 were the retail, utilities, motor, and finance categories. There was also strong growth in the IT, gardening and agriculture, and pharmaceutical sectors.
While full January to June 2025 figures for the total advertising market are not yet available, initial indications suggest that the radio sector is outperforming the broader market. Current estimates indicate that total advertising market growth was approximately1% for the January to June period.
Ciarán Cunningham, CEO of Radiocentre Ireland said that “Despite challenging economic conditions, itis great to see continued growth in radio revenue, with advertisers large and small recognising its power and leveraging its incredible strengths: highly cost-effective, unmatched reach, trust-building capacity, and creative effectiveness.
Radio content continues to attract very strong audiences, with people tuning in whenever they want and wherever they are, through a range of devices including smart speakers, mobile phones, and FM at home or in the car.”
Revenue by quarter, broken down by spot, branded content and digital audio revenue is listed below.
