BBC Sounds has reported record-breaking results for the last quarter, driven by a surge in podcast listening and digital engagement across the UK.
According to the latest audience figures, the platform achieved 675 million plays between July and September, marking an 8.5% increase year-on-year and setting a new benchmark for the broadcaster’s on-demand audio success.
The growth was fuelled by new titles such as Shadow World: The Grave Robbers and What’s Up Docs, alongside long-running favourites like Newscast, You’re Dead To Me, and Gangster. Together, these shows have drawn in loyal audiences while attracting younger listeners to the platform’s expanding podcast catalogue.
For the first time, this quarter’s data included audio plays from across the BBC – spanning BBC Sport, BBC News, BBC Bitesize, and visualised podcasts on iPlayer.
This wider measurement revealed an average weekly audience of 5.1 million, peaking at 5.4 million during the week of Europe’s historic Ryder Cup win.
BBC Sounds alone recorded an average of 4.8 million weekly users across its app, website, TV, and smart devices, reaching 4.9 million in the same week.
Visualised podcasts continued to gain momentum among under-35 listeners, with Uncanny and Miss Me? ranking fourth and fifth in that age group’s top-played titles.
Sport was another strong performer, boosted by coverage of major summer events including the UEFA Women’s Euros, FIFA Club World Cup, Wimbledon, and the Tour de France. These events were supported by BBC Sounds’ new Sports Streams feature, which curates live and on-demand content from across the network.
Local Sport Club Feeds also proved a hit, offering tailored post-match highlights and club-specific podcasts.
Bradford City AFC, Carlisle United, and Derby County all appeared among the top ten podcasts with the highest proportion of under-35 listeners, reflecting the platform’s continued appeal to local and younger audiences.
Newscast held its place as the most listened-to podcast overall, while You’re Dead To Me topped the under-35 chart, showing strong appetite for both news and comedy-driven content. Meanwhile, The Archers, Whodunnits, and Desert Island Discs remained favourites among listeners catching up with BBC radio classics.
In the comedy category, Elis James and John Robins on BBC Radio 5 Live stayed the most popular on-demand show for under-35s and won Gold at the British Podcast Awards.
Radio 1’s Breakfast with Greg James and Radio 1 10s also performed strongly, with the latter drawing the highest percentage of younger listeners.
The BBC achieved an impressive 23 wins at this year’s British Podcast Awards, including 12 Gold Awards across genres from True Crime to News & Current Affairs, and two Golds for emerging creators from BBC Sounds Audio Lab.
Music content also performed well, with The Sleeping Forecast remaining the most listened-to mix, helping to drive 2.4 million plays of BBC Sounds music mixes last quarter.
Globally, BBC Podcasts were downloaded 212 million times between July and October. Global News Podcast led third-party platforms, followed by 6 Minute English and The Documentary Podcast, highlighting the BBC’s continued global influence in podcasting.
Kate Phillips, BBC Chief Content Officer, said: “As the UK’s number one radio brand, our stations continue to thrive, and I’m proud that this quarter we’ve brought audiences together for a thrilling summer of sport and live music.
“The success of our digital strategy is clear to see with BBC Sounds continuing to grow and an impressive 8.5% yearly increase in plays.”
