98.5 The Sports Hub continues reign atop Nielsen Audio Ratings

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Media

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).

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. 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. Jim Davis/Globe Staff

By Chad Finn

July 15, 2025 | 7:16 PM

1 minute to read

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.

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.

From 6-7 p.m., 98.5’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).

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Chad Finn

Sports columnist

Chad Finn is a sports columnist for Boston.com. He has been voted Favorite Sports Writer in Boston in the annual Channel Media Market and Research Poll for the past four years. He also writes a weekly sports media column for the Globe and contributes to Globe Magazine.

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