Digital audio revenue for Irish radio rises in 2025
Digital audio revenue for Irish radio broadcasters rose by 11.5% in 2025, helping to lift overall sector revenues to €165.6m, according to new figures from Radiocentre Ireland.
Total revenue for Irish radio operators increased by 0.9% year on year, reflecting continued growth in branded content and digital audio, as advertisers increasingly use audio across multiple platforms and formats.
Spot advertising revenue from traditional radio commercials amounted to €126.4m during the year, representing a marginal decline of 0.6%.
In contrast, branded content revenue, which includes sponsorships, partnerships and content solutions, grew by 4.5% to €31.0m, pointing to rising demand for more integrated and creative audio offerings.
Digital audio revenue reached €8.2m, up 11.5% on the previous year, driven by continued growth in online listening and multi-platform audio consumption.
Radiocentre Ireland noted that this figure relates solely to digital audio revenue generated by Irish radio operators and excludes income from global audio platforms.
Revenue generated through media agencies increased by 1.7% to €116.6m, while direct advertiser revenue declined slightly by 1.0% to €49.0m.
Retail, household services, Government and finance were the largest product categories for Irish radio advertising in 2025.
The strongest year-on-year growth was recorded in food and pharmaceutical advertising.
Commenting on the figures, Ciarán Cunningham, CEO of Radiocentre Ireland, said: “It is great to see continued growth in radio revenue, with advertisers large and small recognising radio’s power and leveraging its incredible strengths — highly cost-effective reach, unmatched scale, trust-building capacity and creative effectiveness.
“Radio content continues to attract very strong audiences, with people tuning in whenever and wherever they choose, across smart speakers, mobile phones, in the car and on FM at home.
“At a time when brand safety and consumer trust are under increasing pressure across parts of the digital ecosystem, radio stands out as a regulated, accountable and trusted medium.
“This matters more than ever for both audiences and advertisers.
Ciaran Cunningham, CEO of Radiocentre Ireland
“Irish radio provides a safe, high-quality environment where brands can connect with people with confidence — reinforcing the unique value of trusted media in today’s fast-moving and often unregulated digital landscape.”
Radiocentre Ireland said the results highlight radio’s ability to evolve while maintaining its core strengths, combining scale, creativity, trust and effectiveness across both broadcast and digital audio, and positioning the sector for continued growth in 2026 and beyond.
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