Nielsen Music: All-Christmas Format Sets New Bar At AC, Hot AC, Classic Hits

Nielsen: Merry Christmas For AC, Hot AC, Classic Hits

In the latest edition of NIELSEN INSIGHTS, the release of its holiday PPM data has proven very warming for several radio categores that adopted the all-CHRISTMAS music, especially AC, Hot AC and Classic Hits. You can read the entire blog here.

Last holiday season, 528 radio stations nationwide adopted a holiday programming format, which was just one station shy of 2014’s record of 529 stations. The holiday PPM book results prove that the "all-CHRISTMAS" radio format can be a winner.

AC radio posted new records in several demographics, finishing as the top-ranked holiday-listening format nationwide. This is the second year in a row that AC has increased its share of listening during the holiday survey. And it wasn't just the old folks, either. Among millennial audiences (aged 18-34), the year-over-year results jumped by more than a full share point in 2015 from the year before. Of course,ADELE proved the format's SANTA CLAUS, her record-setting "25" playing no small role in this increase as well. 

Sister-format Hot AC also finished the year with strong holiday ratings. Across all three of the analyzed demographics, Hot AC had its best holiday book ever, and at the same time matched the all-time record for listener share among 18-to-34 year-olds and set a new record with the 25-54 audience. Compared to its big jump in holiday listening in 2014, the growth was more modest and spread out throughout the year, but there’s no doubt that 2015 was a banner year for Hot AC.

Classic HIts also had a notable record closing out the year, its 18-34 results (4.2% share) marks the first time the format has ever cracked 4.0 with this age group in PPM measurement.

The “all-CHRISTMAS” format had a big effect on music formats across the radio landscape, with AC, Soft AC, Hot AC and Classic Hits rising, while Top 40, Urban Contemporary and Country dropped back.

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