Radio ads and sponsorship revenues for commercial broadcasters were up by one per cent in 2025 to €165.6 million with digital audio spend increasing by 11.5 per cent to €8.2m, end of year results from Radiocentre Ireland indicate. The value of spot ads was put at €126.4m, which was a slight drop of 0.6 per cent on the 2024 total.
Branded content, covering sponsorships and content deals, was up by by 4.5 per cent to €31m. The €8.2m in digital audio advertising and sponsorship generated by the commercial radio sector does not include spend by the likes of Acast, Spotify or Soundcloud. When taken into account, Ireland’s total digital audio market may in fact be worth almost €20m.
Revenues generated from media agencies increased by 1.7 per cent to €116.6m, while direct advertiser revenue amounted to €49.0m, down slightly by a point. The largest product categories for in 2025 were retail, household services, Government and finance, with the most year-on-year growth coming from food and pharmaceuticals.
Advertisers are leveraging radio’s strengths – Ciarán Cunningham
Ciarán Cunningham (pictured), CEO, Radiocentre Ireland, said it was great to see advertisers large and small recognising the medium’s power and leveraging its strengths. “Radio continues to attract strong audiences, with people tuning in whenever and wherever they choose – across smart speakers, mobile phones, in the car and on FM at home,” he added.
Radiocentre Ireland was established as a marketing vehicle by RTÉ and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI). It is managed by a board chaired by John Purcell. Representing RTÉ are Patricia Monahan, Debbie Kennedy and Gavin Deans, while the IBI’s representatives are Sean Barry, Chris Doyle and Fionnuala Rabbitt.
