Bloomberg Radio And Podcast Listening Rise Sharply In 2025.

Bloomberg Media says its audio business hit a new gear in 2025, with podcast downloads surging 26% year over year and average monthly listeners to Bloomberg Radio content climbing 15%, reinforcing audio’s growing role in the company’s global growth strategy.

The gains were detailed in a memo sent to employees this week by Bloomberg Media CEO Karen Saltser, outlining full-year 2025 financial and audience results. Overall revenue increased 6% from a year earlier, driven by double-digit subscription growth and solid gains in advertising and live events.

Saltser says audio advertising rose 16% year over year, fueled primarily by a 36% increase in podcast revenue. While video advertising across linear, digital, and streaming platforms grew a modest 1%, and digital display advertising was essentially flat, audio stood out as one of the company’s fastest-growing ad categories.

Last May, Bloomberg renewed its agreement with iHeartMedia, which has handled ad sales and distribution for the company since 2021. Bloomberg produces about 30 shows, including shows like “Big Take,” “In Trust,” “Bedrock, USA,” “Bloomberg Crypto” and “Crash Course.”

The audio growth comes as Bloomberg continues to invest heavily across platforms. The company now averages 55 million unique monthly viewers globally, with total hours watched up 25% year over year across linear television, digital, and streaming services. Bloomberg produces roughly 800 hours of video per month and expanded its distribution footprint in 2025 with the launch of its channel on YouTube TV.

On the audience side, Bloomberg Media finished 2025 with more than 707,000 paying subscribers, reflecting double-digit year-over-year growth. Saltser attributes that performance to pricing and retention improvements, as well as investments made beginning in mid-2024 in editorial, product and engineering, and sales and marketing. Monthly users of Bloomberg’s newsletters increased 20% year over year following a shift toward more subscriber-only newsletters.

Advertising results were bolstered by strong client loyalty and international growth. Bloomberg Media posted an 82% advertising client retention rate in 2025, with every major region finishing the year up in total ad revenue, including gains of 11% in Europe and 8% in Asia-Pacific. Live events sponsorship revenue jumped 30%, helped by the return of the New Economy Forum and growth in marquee events such as Bloomberg House Davos and the Qatar Economic Forum.

Saltser noted that major news moments, including tariff coverage in spring 2025 and last year’s elections, drove spikes in audience reach. But she emphasized a broader focus on sustained engagement, time spent, and frequency throughout the year — metrics she says are increasingly reinforced across Bloomberg’s platforms.

Looking ahead to 2026, Saltser signaled further evolution in Bloomberg’s video product strategy and continued investment in technology, including AI-driven tools for newsroom operations, advertising, and product development. “Ultimately, we’re built on the trust and information that people need to make big decisions,” she wrote, framing audio, video, and subscriptions as central to Bloomberg Media’s long-term growth.