The latest audience figures for Q1 2025, show that BBC Sounds had 681 million plays of all content across radio, podcasts and music mixes between January and March.
This is up 5.7% on last quarter and 5.9% on the first quarter of 2024. A record 261 million of these plays came from on-demand radio and podcast content.
The Traitors: Uncloaked topped the charts as the most popular podcast for listeners under 35, and the ninth most popular podcast overall.
Hosted by award-winning stand-up comedian and presenter Ed Gamble, the podcast, which is also visualised on BBC iPlayer, went deeper into the castle with behind-the-scenes gossip and exclusive access to the cast.
From BBC Radio 5 Live, Elis James and John Robins’ award-winning series became the most popular On-Demand radio programme for under 35s for the first time. It was also the fifth most-listened to On-Demand radio programme overall for all ages.
News podcasts continued to dominate the charts this quarter, with Newscast and Americast ranking as the first and second most-played podcasts overall.
Radio 4 audio drama proved a hit, with The Archers and Whodunnits ranking as the top two most-listened to On-Demand radio programmes, and Whodunnits also placing among the most-played On-Demand radio titles for under 35s.
These were closely followed in fourth place by Drama on 4 which included titles such as Moorgate, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of the fatal tube crash, When Maggie Met Larry, starring Derek Jacobi and Frances Barber, and Waiting for Waiting for Godot, written by and starring, Adrian Edmondson.
The Limelight feed from Radio 4 also ranked as the eighth most popular podcast and it was announced that series two of the hotly anticipated spy drama Central Intelligence, starring Kim Cattrall, will be returning this summer.
Nine of the top ten most listened to On-Demand radio programmes were titles from Radio 4, including Desert Islands Discs, In Our Time and I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue.
The Sleeping Forecast topped the list of music mixes, where a new series of Seascapes with the sleepy tones of the shipping forecast played over a bed of peaceful sea sounds.
Sports titles scored big with younger audiences. Football Daily and Rugby Union Weekly were among the most-played podcasts for under 35s, and Match of the Day: Top 10, Fantasy 606, Tailenders and Football Daily all saw high percentage skews towards audiences under 35.
There was success for Pompey fans too, who pushed Radio Solent’s On-Demand radio programme Portsmouth FC onto the list of highest-skewing radio programmes among U35s, providing pre- and post-match interviews and discussion from the club.
Radio 1’s All Day Breakfast with Greg James was the podcast with the highest percentage of listeners aged under 35.
Highlights included the reveal of Radio 1’s Big Weekend main stage line up live from Liverpool, and content supporting Jamie Laing through his Ultra Marathon challenge in aid of Comic Relief.
Continuing the theme of top music titles, Make Me A Mixtape with Clara Amfo and Jordan Stephens and Sidetracked with Annie and Nick ranked second and third on the same list.
New BBC Sounds podcast Stalked made its way into the headlines and onto the list of top global downloads, following Hannah Mossman Moore and Carole Cadwalladr as they investigate a digital intruder in Hannah’s life.
Miss Me? with Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver proved popular with under 35s, ranking as the sixth most-played podcast for the age group and seeing the launch of new visualised episodes on BBC Sounds’ YouTube channel, as well as two sold out live shows at London’s Hackney Empire. The podcast also ranked number 18 on the list of global downloads.
There was success for podcast acquisitions, with two titles from Noiser placing in the top ten most-played podcasts on BBC Sounds; Sherlock Holmes Short Stories was the third most popular podcast and Short History Of… placed at number ten.
Elsewhere, Help I Sexted My Boss from Audio Always ranked ninth in the list of podcasts with a high percentage of listeners under 35.
Four new titles from emerging podcasters were launched as part of BBC Sounds Audio Lab, which covered topics including the science and culture of cooking (Melting Pot), miscarriages of justice in British LGBTQIA+ communities (Criminally Queer: The Bolton 7), the celebration of trailblazing Black artists who were pivotal to the British music industry (Instrumental: British Black Trailblazers), and an examination of folk communities across the UK (Heart & Stone). Applications for the next round have now opened.
There were a total of 225 million downloads of BBC podcasts around the world this quarter, with the Global News Podcast ranked number one on third party platforms followed by 6 Minute English and The Documentary Podcast.
Director of BBC Sounds, Jonathan Wall said: “What a way to start 2025, with record plays and fresh new commissions across a range of genres.
“The Traitors: Uncloaked kept listeners entertained, and new titles like Stalked and What’s Up Docs?, alongside our latest Audio Lab releases, show how we’re constantly bringing bold new voices and original stories to the platform. And this is just the start!
“Looking ahead to Q2, we’ll be launching two new sports streams on BBC Sounds so listeners can stay up to date with a huge summer of sport, from the UEFA Women’s Euros to the British Grand Prix.
“We’re proud to be the home of trusted news, must-hear storytelling, and live sport and we’re making it even easier for audiences to stay connected to the moments that matter.”
