Radio’s reach advantage isn’t limited to its own lane. New data shows that layering AM/FM ads onto a Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok campaign can lift incremental reach by as much as 112%, according to analysis by the Cumulus Media/Westwood One’s Audio Active Group.
The report draws on Nielsen Comparable Metrics via Katz Radio Group’s Sound Answers study for weekly over-the-air radio and TV reach, Edison Research’s Infinite Dial 2026 for monthly podcast reach, and Spring 2026 MRI-Simmons USA data for other platforms, all covering Q1 2026.
Among adults 25-54, radio reaches 86% weekly, ahead of podcasts at 69%, live and time-shifted TV at 65%, Facebook at 62%, YouTube at 57%, Instagram at 50%, and Spotify at 42%. The gap holds up across other age groups, with radio reaching 81% of adults 18-34 weekly, 87% of adults 18 and older, 84% of adults 18-49, and 90% of adults 65 and older, topping every other platform measured in each group.
AM/FM also adds substantial incremental reach when layered onto other platforms. Among adults 25-54, combining OTA radio with Facebook lifts monthly reach from 62% to 83%, a 34% increase; with Instagram, reach climbs from 50% to 80%, up 60%; and with TikTok, from 34% to 72%, up 112%. The incremental lift is even larger among adults 55 and older, where adding radio to TikTok raises reach from 14% to 67%, a 379% increase.
The same pattern shows up alongside TV and digital audio.
Weekly reach among all adults climbs from 71% for live and time-shifted TV alone to 87% once radio is added, a 23% lift, with comparable gains across other age groups. In ad-supported digital audio, Edison Research’s Share of Ear data shows unique daily reach among adults 18 and older starting at just 7% for ad-supported Spotify alone, growing to 32% once podcasts are added, and reaching 72% once radio joins the mix.
