ABC listen reports standout year in digital audio

ABC Audio is celebrating a standout year in digital listening, with the national broadcaster saying ABC Sport’s coverage of The Ashes drove record audiences on ABC listen and contributed to strong growth across live streams and podcasts in 2025.

It says in 2025, the average number of weekly digital audio users increased by 17 per cent compared to the previous year.

This was driven by major national moments including The Ashes, the Federal Election, news and emergency broadcasting, the Mushroom Case Daily podcast and increased usage of the ABC listen app.

Weekly active users increased by 14 per cent across the year, with an average of 554,000 active users each week.

Ashes coverage proved a major drawcard, with ABC listen usage rising 16 per cent during the series.

The ABC Sport stream set a new streaming record, reaching 10.4 million streaming minutes on day three of the Sydney Test.

Today, the December 2025 Triton Australian Podcast Ranker confirmed a strong finish to the year for ABC podcasts, with overall audiences up eight per cent compared to the same time last year.

The ABC had 54 podcasts in the Top 300, including two in the Top 10: ABC News Top Stories at No.3 and Conversations at No.6.

ABC Head of Audio on Demand, Jessica Radburn, said “This marks a record year for ABC listen and digital audio, capped by a strong December. Australians embraced the ABC for trusted breaking news, emergency broadcasting, live sport and binge-worthy podcasts, with Ashes coverage proving a major drawcard and delivering a soundtrack to summer for audiences nationwide.”