Radio’s digital future is promising – but still underdeveloped – according to data released by the RAB and Borrell Associates discussed during a standing-room-only session at NAB Show 2025 in Las Vegas.
RAB President and CEO Mike Hulvey opened the session by emphasizing the importance of adapting to advertiser needs. “It truly is a critically important topic for all of us in broadcast and for our clients, our success and that’s what we’re all about. Being successful for our local clients, that’s where the magic happens.”
The data showed that digital now accounts for 24% of radio’s total ad revenue, a significant jump from the pandemic-era 20%. Yet, only 28% of radio advertisers are currently buying digital products from stations. That leaves what panelists repeatedly called “enormous upside” for broadcasters willing to shift their approach.
Borrell Associates CEO Gordon Borrell framed the stakes plainly: “Digital revenue grew 10% to 2.1 billion. First time, it surpassed $2 billion in the calendar, almost 24% of total advertising revenue, which is a significant growth spurt since the pandemic when it was about 20%.” However, Borrell warned that even with growth, the industry cannot afford to be complacent. “All of the growth is digital. You’ve got those products to sell. So that’s encouraging. But advertisers are not buying radio at the clip that they did just five years ago, certainly 10 years ago.”
One of the most significant findings: for the first time, “The number one source, the higher source of revenue for radio stations is streaming video advertising,” said Borrell. “Radio stations are selling more digital advertising, or video advertising, than they are audio advertising.”
One of the session’s recurring themes was the critical need for more digital training and internal investment at stations. Davis Broadcasting, Inc. Vice President and Market Manager Greg Davis Jr. detailed how losing digital sellers hurt momentum, explaining, “When we lose our digital sellers, they provide expertise and knowledge for our account executives, our radio account executives. They provide knowledge and expertise that they don’t have. And so they feel comfortable taking them out to close the deal. And when we lose our sellers, unfortunately, they feel as though they’re not equipped. And then they revert back to selling what they are experts in, which is radio.”
To reverse the trend, Davis Broadcasting has prioritized ongoing training, though Davis acknowledged progress is still slow. “We are working with our county executives to do more training. 2025 is going to be a different year for all of us. The economy is showing that it is not going to be what we projected last year. But we’re trying to find ways to take that road.”
Despite challenges, panelists emphasized that radio’s local relationships with advertisers give it an advantage other digital sellers lack. Marketron Senior Director of Digital Strategy Dustin Wilson, who once bought media on the agency side, shared: “Statistically, actually, we know that our reps are the most trusted resource in the local market. I went to my radio reps for my TV and my programs every single time.”
Wilson stressed the need to move away from “tactics selling” and focus instead on business outcomes.
Salem Media Group Executive Vice President of Operations and Revenue Development Linnae Young agreed that success depends less on products than on sales philosophy. “We’re still in the same business we started over 40 years ago. Growing businesses and proving to them that we were a part of that. What’s changed is the tools in our toolbox,” she said.
Young highlighted how leading sales reps have evolved beyond just pitching traditional radio. “Today, our most successful reps think in terms of multimedia, right? They look at it, and they say, I have a toolbox. I’m going to go out today with my toolbox, and I’ve got 25 tools. That might be five radio stations and 20 digital tactics.”
Panelists repeatedly returned to the need for strategic commitment from station leadership. Wilson emphasized that top-down support is the number one indicator of digital sales success: “Unless you’re willing to look at your sales team and say, you are going to sell digital, this is part of our solution stack, and on top of that, we’re going to match commissions because we’re not going to devalue this product, you’re not going to succeed.”
Borrell closed by urging broadcasters to think bigger and invest accordingly: “The biggest mistake radio stations are making, I believe, is underestimating the potential. Your job is to de-confuse it, make it as easy as Amazon makes it to buy.”
As Hulvey offered during the session: “We have an unfair advantage over a lot of our competitors, certainly in the traditional media space. We have a lost audience. Our audiences remain robust. Our reach is still terrific. We have relationships with the people who love our product.”
However, he cautioned: “If you stop and you settle, you are going to go in one direction and that’s the wrong direction.”
A radio advertiser has needs that -for sure -aren’t being met in the 2025 landscape. A well crafted message, delivered creatively can do wonders for the advertiser’s product. Most spots you hear today are straight voice, full of copy points and lacking one clear message. Put that fifth in a commercial set and you’ve got one disinterested listener. Make it clever-and make it mean something to the listener. Radio can grab their attention more than a digital ad can. Not to say that digital can’t work-but you’ve got to ask yourself-what is YOUR business ? Audio or video? If you’re going to work with both, realize that you can’t ask your creators to do both effectively. When was the last time YOU saw a video ad created by a radio station?
Radio still has unmatched local trust and reach — now’s the time to harness that strength digitally. Great to see industry leaders pushing for more training, better tools, and a mindset shift from ‘radio selling’ to ‘business solution selling
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