Sports Stations, Team Flagships Score Big On PPM Days 1 and 2.

April has always been a big month for professional sports, with the beginning of the Major League Baseball season and postseason activity for both NBA basketball and NHL hockey. The excitement for all three was reflected by share boosts for the flagship stations of teams in each of those leagues, ranked in the top five in eight of the 20 non-embedded PPM markets reporting on Days 1 and 2 in Nielsen’s April survey (covering April 2-29).

Together, eight baseball, basketball and/or hockey team flagship stations in Dallas, Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle, Detroit, Minneapolis, San Diego and St. Louis — seven of those with an all sports format, and one news/talk — saw a 10.1-share-point increase from Nielsen’s March survey. The largest of those gains were fueled by the NBA’s Pistons and MLB’s Tigers on Audacy sports “97.1 The Ticket” WXYT-FM Detroit (up 2.2), baseball’s Padres on Audacy’s “97.3 The Fan” KWFN (+2.1), and MLB’s Mariners on Bonneville’s “Seattle Sports 710” KIRO-AM (+1.7).

For Days 1 and 2 in these 20 markets, the leaderboard shows AC with five wins, news/talk and sports with three each, two each for urban AC and classic hits, and one each for news, adult alternative, hot AC, soft AC and classic rock.

Please note that rankings do not include stations owned by Cumulus Media, which is in the midst of a re-negotiation of its contract with Nielsen which expired Dec. 31, 2025.

Hubbard Radio all-news WTOP racks up its 11th consecutive survey at the top in D.C., staying 2.5 points ahead of American University news/talk WAMU, although both experience a second straight share decline. Atlantic Gateway Communications contemporary Christian WGTS/WGBZ makes a 1.1-share gain to move from sixth to third, marking its first time ranking this high since February 2023. 

It has been more than 20 years since Boston University’s WBUR was the market’s number one station. The news/talk outlet returns to the top with a 0.7 edge over Beasley Media Group’s “98.5 The Sports Hub” WBZ-FM and iHeartMedia CHR “Kiss 108” WXKS-FM, which tie for second. The Feb.-March champ, Audacy AC “Magic 106.7” WMJX, meanwhile, slips to fourth.

Audacy AC “101.5 Lite FM” WLYF rules for the first time since July 2025, which was the last time a Cox Media Group station wasn’t number one in the market. As “Lite” gains 1.1 share points to take the prize, SBS Spanish classic hits “Zeta 92.3” WCMQ jumps from fifth to second, followed by CMG’s soft AC “Easy 93.1” WFEZ and urban AC sister “Hot 105” WHQT in third and fourth. For the latter, it’s the first time in more than five years it hasn’t finished in Miami’s top two. 

News/talk pubcaster KUOW-FM keeps its grip on the crown for a fourth straight survey. It’s a comfortable 4.2 share points ahead of Bonneville “Seattle Sports 710” KIRO-AM, flagship of the Mariners, which sees a 36% increase as it moves from a tie for sixth to the runner-up spot. Also re-entering the top five is Audacy’s “Rock 99.9” KISW, up from that same tie for sixth to one for third with both Crista Media contemporary Christian “Spirit 105.3” KCMS and iHeart classic hits “95.7 The Jet” KJEB.

It’s a seventh consecutive win for iHeartMedia AC “99.9 K-EZ” KESZ, as it stays a half-point ahead of Hubbard classic rock KSLX. Further down at fifth, it’s a tie between Audacy classic hits “Big 94.5” KOOL-FM and Maricopa County Community College news/talk KJZZ, the latter making it first top five appearance since October 2024.

The Detroit Pistons may not have made it to the NBA Eastern Conference finals, but the team’s radio flagship, Audacy sports “97.1 The Ticket” WXYT-FM, are still the Motor City’s ratings champs, scoring two more share points before the buzzer to move back into double-digit territory. Audacy again claims three of the top five, with classic hits WOMC third and country WYCD fourth, while iHeartMedia AC WNIC and urban AC sister “Mix 92.3” WMXD land at second and fifth, respectively.

Twin Cities sports fans had a lot to cheer for in April with postseason play for the NBA’s Timberwolves and NHL’s Wild, and the flagship for both teams, iHeartMedia sports “K-Fan” KFXN, was also a big winner, holding onto the crown with a 0.9 gain from March. For the second straight book, “K-Fan” stays just 0.1 in front of news/talk pubcaster KNOW. iHeartMedia country “K102” KEEY and classic hits “Kool 108” KQQL come in third and fourth, the former adding 0.9 to move from fifth to third. 

For a third straight survey, Tampa’s top four stations remain unchanged, with CMG soft AC “105.5 The Dove” WDUV in the lead followed by Radio Training Network contemporary Christian “The Joy FM” WCIE, CMG classic rock sister “The Eagle 107.3” WXGL and Beasley classic hits “Q105” WRBQ at second, third and fourth. CMG AC sister “Magic 94.9” WWRM picks up 0.6 to move back into the top five at number five.

Once again, Audacy classic rock “99.5 The Mountain” KQMT wins in a squeaker over Bonneville AC KOSI, ahead by just three-tenths of a share point. iHeart adult alternative KBCO sees a 1.3-share gain to earn its first top five showing since January 2025, while modern/alternative rock sister “Channel 93.3” KTCL adds a full share point for its first time in the region since last December.

After two surveys away from number one, Audacy classic hits “Sunny 98.1” KXSN rises to the top again, with a close-as-it-gets 0.1 edge over news/talk pubcaster KPBS. March’s champ, Comunicacion XERSA hot AC “Magic 92.5” XHRM, comes in third, while Padres fever is back as the team’s flagship, Audacy sports “97.3 The Fan” KWFN, moves from a tie for 12th to fifth, up 2.1 share points. 

With the exception of the Holiday 2025 survey, Urban One urban AC “Magic 95.9” WWIN-FM has been on top since February 2025, and it remains so in April, 1.6 share points up on Audacy AC “Today's 101.9” WLIF. iHeartMedia country WPOC takes third, while Audacy hot AC sister “Mix 106.5” WWMX ties for fourth with Peter and John Radio Fellowship contemporary Christian “Bright FM” WRBS-FM, which adds 2.4 points to leap from 11th for its first time in the top five since October 2024.

For the first time since November 2024, iHeartMedia classic hits KLOU takes the crown, with a 0.6 lead over Hubbard heritage rocker KSHE. Audacy AC KEZK and Gateway Creative contemporary Christian “99.1 Joy FM” KLJY stick at third and fourth, while Audacy news/talk and St. Louis Cardinals flagship KMOX-FM gains 1.2 share points to move from 10th to fifth, with the team’s hot start certainly a big help.