Irish radio advertising revenue for Q3 of 2026 was up by 4.3% from €79.6m in Q2, to €118.1m, according to Radiocentre Ireland.
The January-to-September total was 1.5% ahead of the same period in 2025, with growth in digital audio and branded content offsetting a decline in spot advertising.
The figures, published in Radiocentre Ireland’s Revenue Pulse, cover revenue generated by participating Irish radio broadcasters and they exclude global audio platforms like Spotify, Acast and Apple.
Once again, digital audio was the fastest-growing category, with revenue increasing by 28.1% to €7.3m during the first nine months. Agency bookings for digital audio increased by 26%, while revenue from direct advertisers grew by 36.1%.
Branded content revenue, including sponsorships, partnerships and integrated content, increased by 4.7% to €23.3m. Agency investment in the category rose by 7.5%.
According to Radiocentre Ireland, Spot advertising revenue stood at €87.6m, down 1% year on year. This compared with a 2.1% decline reported for the first six months.
Across all categories, direct advertiser revenue increased by 3.6% to €34.8m, while media agency revenue rose by 0.7% to €83.4m.
Ciarán Cunningham, chief executive of Radiocentre Ireland, said: “The strong growth in the third quarter is a very encouraging result for Irish radio and demonstrates the positive momentum building across the sector.
“Revenue increased by 4.3% in Q3, with both agency and direct advertiser revenues contributing to the overall growth.
“Digital audio continues to be a particularly exciting growth area, with revenue increasing by over 28% this year. We’re also seeing continued growth in branded content, demonstrating that advertisers are increasingly taking advantage of the range of creative and commercial opportunities available across radio and digital audio.
“Radio offers advertisers a powerful combination of mass reach, trusted content and proven advertising effectiveness. The continued investment in the medium, particularly across digital audio and branded content, is a positive indication of its importance to advertisers.
“While the wider advertising market remains competitive, these results provide encouraging momentum for Irish radio as we move into the final quarter of 2026.”
