Radio Reaches More Consumers Than Any Other Medium

Written By

Liz Iversen

Published On

Tuesday, Mar 30
Elderly woman smiling in a white sweatshirt with a blue background. She is holding a blue old school radio while giving the "ok" sign with her fingers.
The pandemic may have altered media consumption habits, but radio held strong as the #1 reach medium. Nielsen’s latest Total Audience Report shows that radio reached 88% of U.S. adults weekly in Q3 of 2020, beating out all other media. The weekly reach rankings are as follows:

  1. Radio (reaching 88% of U.S. adults weekly)
  2. App/web use on a smartphone (85% reach)
  3. Live+ time-shifted TV (80%) 
  4. TV-connected devices (56%)
  5. Internet on a computer (52%)
  6. App/web on a tablet (45%)

Radio listeners tuned in for 12+ hours per week on average. As Inside Radio reported, the share of time spent with radio increased, even as Americans’ overall time spent with media declined.

The report also found that radio and TV still command the highest share of collective trust in advertising. 60% of people 35-49 consider radio spots very or somewhat trustworthy, with TV following at 59%.

Ready to advertise on the medium that is most trusted by audiences and also has the largest reach? To hear your brand on the radio, contact SMI today.

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