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GeoPoll’s Media Audience Analytics is your gateway to unlocking the power of audience analytics. Our comprehensive suite of media and audience measurement services empowers you to navigate the dynamic landscape of media consumption, optimize your content strategies, and stay ahead of the competition.
In this summary report, we look at GeoPoll Audience Measurement data on Kenya’s prime-time TV viewership trends and radio listenership in 2023. We examine prime time peaks, genre preferences, and audience demographics, taking the pulse of Kenya’s media landscape.
Please note that the data presented in this report looks at consolidated overall ratings throughout the year. Get in touch with us for granular data that can be used to make advertising or programming decisions. We update media measurement data daily.
Television: Prime Time Peaks and Genre Preferences
From GeoPoll’s latest Media Establishment Survey, television remains the most dominant medium in Kenya, with over 50% of Kenyan households owning a TV and 80% of those watching TV daily. For overall 2023 GAM data, TV viewership data reveals notable patterns across different days of the week. As expected, prime time enjoyed the highest viewership, peaking at 9:00 PM daily, with Saturday and Friday having the highest numbers. TV viewership at 6:00 PM is relatively lower than later time slots during prime time.
This could be attributed to the fact that many individuals are likely commuting from work or engaged in activities that hinder them from settling in to watch television during this early evening period. The gradual increase in viewership as the evening progresses, reaching its peak at 9:00 PM, aligns with the notion that viewers are more likely to tune in after completing their workday responsibilities and settling into their homes.
Local Drama-time – 7:30 pm
Most Kenyan channels dedicate the half hour after 7:30 pm for local shows. This timeslot consistently garners a substantial viewership across the week, suggesting strong preference for narratives that resonate with the local socio-cultural milieu.
Out of the top 10 channels in this slot, Citizen had the highest share (19.6%), followed by NTV and Maisha Magic. All three air local drama shows during the 7:30-8:00 p.m. timeslot. Notably, even when the local shows give way to soap operas from 8:00 PM, Maisha Magic, which primarily features local content, gains more audience.
| Channel |
Top 10 Share |
| Citizen TV |
19.6% |
| NTV |
11.5% |
| Maisha Magic East |
10.5% |
| KTN News |
10.1% |
| KTN |
9.8% |
| KBC |
9.8% |
| SuperSport |
8.4% |
| iNooro TV |
7.1% |
| K24 |
7.0% |
| TV 47 |
6.2% |
Radio Listenership
Radio was the flipside of TV. The highest radio listenership was observed consistently between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM, with over 27 million listeners during those hours, indicating that many people tune in during their morning commutes or as they start their workday. Sundays and Saturdays tend to have higher overall listenership compared to weekdays, even during the morning hours.
Weekdays from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM also show relatively high listenership, as people leave their workplaces, commute back home, and engage in their evening activities.
Radio listenership by age
Delving deeper into radio listenership by age group reveals an interesting trend. The eldest age group (35+) represents over half (50.1%) of radio audience. Conversely, the youngest group (15-24) accounts for a mere 20.4%. This indicates the generational divide in media consumption preferences, suggesting radio’s continued relevance and appeal among older audiences while indicating potential areas for innovation and engagement strategies targeting younger listeners to save the radio for the future.
Breakfast Shows (6am – 10am)
During the competitive 6:00 am – 10:00 am breakfast timeslot, we witnessed a slinging batter between the top two – Citizen’s Jambo Kenya (13.2% share) and Classic 105’s Maina and Kingangi (12.8%). Overall, the top 10 was dominated by Swahili stations (5) and vernacular stations (3).
Drive time Shows (4pm – 6pm)
Looking at Drive-time, Citizen Radio had the highest share, with a 14.89% share of radio audience. Radio Maisha (10.46% ) and Radio Jambo (9.22%) completed a 1-2-3 ranking of Swahili stations, broken by Classic 105 (8.2%) with another Swahili station, Milele FM, completing the top 5 Drive radio shows in Kenya.
Get the Full GeoPoll Audience Measurement Data
Understanding audience behavior is crucial for maintaining relevance and competitiveness. The media must adapt by investing in quality content that speaks to the diverse tastes and preferences of Kenyan audiences. Additionally, leveraging data analytics advertising can further enhance engagement and impact for brands and advertisers.
This is a small subset of GeoPoll Audience Measurement data, collected daily in Kenya. To diver deeper into the insights you need to make important decisions, please reach out. GAM data is presented in a near real time dashboard and regular analysis by our team.