Weekly listening figures for BBC Radio 3 have increased by 17.2 per cent since this time last year, and by 17.5 per cent since last quarter, according to data released today by RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research).
The increase means that the BBC's flagship classical music station attracted over 2 million listeners per week during the period from 26 June to 17 September 2023.
The good news for Radio 3 has not been felt across the board, however, and figures for its competitor Classic FM, operated by Global, have fallen slightly during the same period.
BBC Radio 3 controller Sam Jackson comments:
'It’s so encouraging to see BBC Radio 3 reaching a weekly audience of over 2 million people, with the station welcoming around 300,0000 new listeners during this period. We have evidently drawn in more lighter listeners this summer, and we hope those who have discovered the breadth of distinctive programming on Radio 3 will now stay with us for the longer-term.
'What's more, today's news follows on from a summer of extraordinary music-making, with very encouraging figures for this year's BBC Proms – including a record-breaking opening weekend on BBC Sounds. Engagement on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds and in multiple venues across the UK demonstrated the degree to which the BBC's classical music offering is enjoyed by audiences old and new.'
With audiences at 93 per cent capacity, this year's BBC Proms attracted record-breaking figures on iPlayer and BBC Sounds. Nearly 1 million people watched the First Night of the Proms on BBC Two, its strongest overnight TV audience since 2009, while a peak audience of 3.5 million people watched the Last Night of the Proms on BBC One.