NZ Radio Audience Ratings
GfK Survey 1 2026 — national and Auckland audiences by network. What the sellers say vs what the data shows.
Data sources & caveat: Statistics on this page combine independently-measured survey data (GfK Commercial Radio Survey) and publisher-reported figures. Publisher figures and independent survey data use different methodologies and may not be directly comparable — where differences exist they are noted. Exact GfK subscriber data is available to accredited media buyers. Always verify data with your agency or directly with the research organisations before making investment decisions.
Network totals — national
Combined weekly reach and share of listening across each ownership group. Note: combined network reach is not additive — listeners who tune to multiple stations in a network are counted once.
| Network | Stations | Weekly reach (unduplicated) | Share of all listening |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZME | Newstalk ZB, ZM, The Hits, Gold, Hauraki, Coast, Flava | 1,850,000 | 42.3% |
| Mediaworks | The Breeze, More FM, Mai FM, The Rock, Magic Radio, The Sound | 1,420,000 | 31.6% |
| RNZ (public) | RNZ National, RNZ Concert | 620,000 | 11.4% |
| Other / Independent | Various | 520,000 | 14.7% |
National station rankings — GfK S1 2026
Weekly cumulative audience (number of different people who listened for at least 15 minutes in a week), audience 10+.
| # | Station | Network | Weekly cume | Share | Age skew | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newstalk ZB | NZME | 657,000 | 14.4% | 35–64 | Consistent national #1 for news/talk format |
| 2 | The Breeze | Mediaworks | 547,900 | 9.5% | 45–65+ | Top music station nationally |
| 3 | More FM | Mediaworks | 510,000 | 7.2% | 25–44 | Contemporary hit; strong female skew |
| 4 | ZM | NZME | 480,000 | 6.8% | 18–34 | Youth-focused CHR; strong 18–39 audience |
| 5 | The Hits | NZME | 450,000 | 6.1% | 25–44 | Mainstream pop; broad 25–54 reach |
| 6 | Mai FM | Mediaworks | 420,000 | 5.8% | 18–39 | Urban/Pasifika format; Auckland dominant |
| 7 | Gold | NZME | 310,000 | 4.6% | 50–65+ | Classic hits targeting boomers |
| 8 | Hauraki | NZME | 290,000 | 4.1% | 30–54 | Classic rock; male-skewed |
| 9 | Coast | NZME | 275,000 | 3.9% | 45–65+ | Easy listening; regional strength |
| 10 | The Rock | Mediaworks | 250,000 | 3.5% | 25–49 | Hard rock/comedy; strong male skew |
| 11 | Magic Radio | Mediaworks | 210,000 | 3% | 45–65+ | Softer adult contemporary |
| 12 | The Sound | Mediaworks | 185,000 | 2.6% | 35–55 | Classic and current favourites |
| 13 | Flava | NZME | 170,000 | 2.4% | 18–39 | R&B/hip-hop; Auckland and Pasifika focus |
Cume figures for mid-ranked stations are estimated from publicly reported ranges. Exact GfK subscriber data available to accredited media buyers.
Auckland audience share — GfK S1 2026
Share of all radio listening in the Auckland metro market. Auckland represents approximately 35% of all NZ commercial radio revenue.
| # | Station | Network | Auckland share | Age skew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newstalk ZB | NZME | 15.6% | 35–64 |
| 2 | The Breeze | Mediaworks | 9.9% | 45–65+ |
| 3 | Mai FM | Mediaworks | 8.8% | 18–39 |
| 4 | ZM | NZME | 6% | 18–34 |
| 5 | Coast | NZME | 5.7% | 45–65+ |
| 6 | The Hits | NZME | 5.2% | 25–44 |
| 7 | More FM | Mediaworks | 5% | 25–44 |
| 8 | Hauraki | NZME | 4.3% | 30–54 |
| 9 | Gold | NZME | 3.8% | 50–65+ |
| 10 | The Rock | Mediaworks | 3.2% | 25–49 |
Radio listening by age group
Which stations and formats dominate each demographic, and how network share shifts by age.
| Age group | Top stations | Format | NZME share | Mediaworks share | Buyer note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–29 | ZM / Mai FM | CHR / Urban | ~38% | ~35% | Highest streaming substitution; lowest total radio reach of any adult group |
| 30–44 | The Hits / More FM | Pop / CHR | ~41% | ~33% | Core commercial radio demographic; strong parental-household reach |
| 45–54 | Newstalk ZB / The Breeze | News-talk / Easy | ~46% | ~31% | Highest radio loyalty; drives breakfast and drive ratings |
| 55+ | Newstalk ZB / Gold | News-talk / Oldies | ~52% | ~28% | NZME dominates this group strongly; minimal streaming substitution |
Fact-checking supplier claims
What radio networks say in their sales collateral vs what independent GfK data shows. Green = confirmed. Amber = partially true or context needed.
"NZME's audio brands reach 2.7 million New Zealanders each month" (NZME advertising collateral)
GfK S1 2026 national cume across all NZME stations (7-day reach) is approximately 1.85M. The 2.7M figure uses combined monthly reach across audio and digital platforms, not radio-only weekly listeners. Monthly reach will always be higher than weekly.
"The Breeze is New Zealand's #1 music station" (Mediaworks)
True per GfK S1 2026. The Breeze holds the highest weekly cume of any music-format station nationally (~547,900). Note: Newstalk ZB (talk format) is #1 overall.
"Newstalk ZB is New Zealand's #1 radio station" (NZME)
Consistently #1 in GfK surveys by weekly cume (~657,000) and audience share (14.4%). Has held this position for over a decade.
"3.5 million New Zealanders listen to commercial radio each week" (RadioWorks/industry)
GfK S1 2026 puts total commercial radio cume close to 3.41M weekly. Total radio (including RNZ) reaches approximately 3.9M. Rounding to 3.5M is defensible but on the conservative end of claims now.
Super Media view
NZME holds a clear advantage in the 45+ demographic — any campaign targeting older New Zealanders should have Newstalk ZB and Gold in the plan. Mediaworks' strength is in 25–44 through More FM and The Breeze, and in urban Auckland through Mai FM.
The 18–29 segment is the most contested — and the most fragile for traditional radio. Streaming substitution is highest here. ZM and Mai FM still deliver reach, but buyers should cross-reference audio streaming (Spotify, iHeart) to avoid overpaying for a declining demographic in this channel.
Combined network "reach" figures quoted by both NZME and Mediaworks use monthly unduplicated reach, not the 7-day cume used in GfK. Always ask which metric is being cited — monthly reach will be 30–40% higher than weekly.