---
title: Katz Radio Group Sound Answers 121 - MLB Post Season Study
description: Katz Radio Group is updating the marketplace regularly with new insights on America's perceptions and behaviors toward audio, communities, and brands.
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---
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# Opening Early, Winning Bigger: Why MLB 2026 Is a Prime Play for Radio
February 25, 2026
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# Opening Early, Winning Bigger: Why MLB 2026 Is a Prime Play for Radio
by Katz Radio Group • February 25, 2026
### MLB Listeners Offer Major League Engagement - And 2026 Starts Earlier Than Ever
As the 2026 Major League Baseball season gets set to kick off earlier than ever on March 25, 2026, new research from Katz Radio Group reveals that baseball fans are more engaged, multi-channel, and advertiser-ready than many marketers realize.
Our latest study, conducted among **600 U.S. adults who consume MLB content**, digs deeper into how fans interact with baseball media, and why radio should be top of mind for advertisers this season.
**RADIO LISTENERS ARE MORE PASSIONATE FANS**
One of the most compelling findings from our research:
- **63% of all MLB baseball fans** describe themselves as “Big Fans.”
- That number increases to 74% among MLB radio listeners, demonstrating that radio over-indexes among baseball’s most passionate fans.
That’s a **+17% relative uplift** in passionate fandom among radio listeners, giving us evidence that radio doesn’t just reach baseball fans… it reaches the *most committed* ones.
And radio’s advantage isn’t just about intensity, it’s about scale. According to the latest Scarborough USA study, 85% of Adults 18+ who are interested in MLB listen to radio each week. Additionally, 1 in 5 MLB-interested adults listen to MLB play-by-play on the radio, and that figure climbs to more than 1 in 4 among those very interested in MLB.
In other words, radio delivers both the broad reach advertisers need and the deep fan engagement brands value.
*Click gray circle to enlarge.*
**MULTI-CHANNEL HABITS TELL A BIGGER STORY**
MLB fans today interact with the sport through a diverse array of channels, reflecting the rapidly changing landscape of media consumption. Television remains the primary avenue for fan engagement, with 62.8% of fans reporting that they watched televised MLB games out-of-home at restaurants, bars, or other venues during the season. But baseball fans in our study are listening too. They were actively engaged across platforms:
- Strong social media interaction with teams and players emerged.
- Podcast and audio consumption around baseball was notable across age groups.
This reinforces a central theme: **baseball fans are everywhere, and radio lives with them.** From the drive home to pre-game gatherings with friends, radio is woven into the everyday moments where fandom lives and breathes. Audio is not peripheral to the baseball experience; it is central to it. And traditional radio remains the dominant force within that space. According to Edison Research’s *Share of Ear* study, 61% of all U.S. sports audio time is spent on AM/FM radio, compared to 27% on podcasts and 12% on SiriusXM. In a fragmented media landscape, radio still commands the majority of sports listening time.
**ADVERTISING RESONATES, ESPECIALLY DURING THE GAME**
Across the board, MLB fans noticed and reacted to sponsorships:
- **72%+** said they notice brands advertised during baseball content
- Many reported a better opinion of those brands
- A strong portion said advertising influenced their willingness to consider or use a product
This level of favorability is especially valuable in a fragmented media world, and *radio amplifies it* by pairing sponsorship with shared experiences, emotions, and narrative.
*Click gray circle to enlarge.*
LOOKING AHEAD
With the early season start, advertisers can gain a strategic edge, as brands that activate synergistically can secure first-mover presence and dominate category share during a period of peak fan excitement.
*Chart is interactive; click gray circle to enlarge.*
Within the baseball media ecosystem, radio delivers something truly distinct. It offers advantages that few other platforms can replicate:
- Proximity to the moment: live and in real time, placing brands alongside the crack of the bat and the emotion of every inning
- Contextual presence: reaching fans in the car, at home, and on the go, seamlessly woven into their daily routines
- Trusted voices: announcers and on-air personalities who reinforce brand messages with credibility and familiarity
- Consistent repetition without the fatigue: delivering frequency without the oversaturation common on other platforms
Together, these factors drive both relevance and resonance, making radio a deliberate, strategic investment for advertisers looking to connect meaningfully with baseball fans.
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## More Sound Answers
## [America’s Fastest-Growing Consumer: Radio at the Center of Growth](https://insights.katzradiogroup.com/katz-radio-group-sound-answers-121-hispanic-growth)
February 2026
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