PHILADELPHIA — New audience research says sports radio and podcasts attract some of the National Football League’s most committed followers, strengthening the case for audio as a year-round extension of the game rather than merely an alternative play-by-play feed.

Vision Insights Decoder research analyzed by Audacy found that 81% of avid National Football League (NFL) fans listen to sports-talk radio, while another 81% follow games through radio play-by-play. Sports-podcast listeners recorded the highest concentration of avid fans at 82%, followed by game-highlight television viewers at 79%, social-media followers at 78% and live-game television viewers at 77%.

The analysis also found that nearly one-quarter of avid fans spend at least six hours each week following football content. Forty-seven percent follow news about their favorite teams at least weekly, while 43% watch pregame or postgame coverage on game days.

Audio’s value extends beyond kickoff

The findings suggest that radio’s football value includes pregame programs, postgame reaction, weekday conversation, podcasts and the local personalities who maintain the relationship between games. That continuing attention can be especially valuable to stations and advertisers because it creates multiple points of contact throughout the week.

A Nielsen Commspoint analysis included with the research says radio advertising moved NFL “super fans” through awareness, consideration, purchase and loyalty more effectively than television, Facebook, YouTube and connected-television advertising. Among super fans exposed to radio advertising, the reported figures included 56% awareness, 49% consideration, 51% purchase and 41% loyalty.

Those advertising conclusions require qualification. Audacy is both the company presenting the analysis and an interested seller of sports audio advertising. Radio News Now has requested the full sample size, field dates, media-comparison tables and the definitions used for “avid fan” and “super fan.” Audience concentration should also not be confused with total reach.

Source: Radio Ink, September 25, 2026.