In the spring Nielsen Audio Ratings, 98.5 The Sports Hub reigned, with its “Toucher and Hardy” morning show posting a large share and its afternoon-drive “Felger and Mazz” program taking the top spot as usual but falling off from last spring.
The Sports Hub finished with an 11.6 overall in the men 25-54 demographic, covering April 3-June 25. WEEI was seventh with a 4.9 share.
Last spring, The Sports Hub was first with a 15.4, while WEEI was ninth (3.6). The Sports Hub, the flagship station for the Celtics and Bruins, was buoyed to a certain degree last spring by the Celtics’ championship run. Boston sports radio listenership overall was down from last spring.
In afternoon drive, The Sports Hub’s long-dominant “Felger and Mazz” finished first with a 12.2 share to the WEEI afternoons’ 3.1, which tied for 10th.
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But it is notable that “Felger and Mazz” fell from an 18.4 share last spring.
Their ratings were also down in the winter, from a 19.8 from January-April 2024 to a 15.7 this year over the same span.
Summer ratings don’t matter much, but if the ratings slip continues in the fall, when the Patriots are back, it will be a concerning trend for a show that has set the ratings bar staggeringly high for more than a decade.
In morning drive, The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Hardy” took first with a strong 17.7, followed in second place by WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” (7.8).
In middays, The Sports Hub’s “Zolak and Bertrand” show claimed first with a 12.5 share, with WEEI’s “Jones and Keefe” program finishing tied for third at a 5.9.
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From 6-7 p.m., The Sports Hub’s “The Baseball Hour” tied for second with a 7.7. WEEI, which usually has Red Sox pregame in that hour, tied for 17th (1.8).
At night (7-midnight), The Sports Hub — with Joe Murray’s show and Celtics and Bruins games — took third with a 6.8. WEEI, which has Christian Arcand’s show and the Red Sox at night, was tied for 10th (3.7).
Chad Finn can be reached at [email protected].