As the English Premier League (EPL) enters the second round after the World Cup extravaganza, The Standard Group PLC remains the home of sports, having secured the exclusive radio broadcast rights for the 2026/27 EPL season. Through Radio Maisha and Berur FM, millions of football fans across the country will once again be able to follow the world's most popular football league live, not only on television or online, but through the radio, a medium that remains deeply embedded in everyday Kenyan life.
This is also an opportunity to challenge a persistent misconception: who still listens to radio? The answer, according to the latest Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Audience Measurement and Industry Trends Report, is that a lot of Kenyans do listen to radio. Radio reached 75% of the population in Q4 2025/26, up from 73% in Q1, and remained one of the country's most accessed media alongside television. More importantly, radio consumption is significantly stronger in rural Kenya, while internet use is more concentrated among urban and higher-income audiences.
The distinction matters. A Nairobi dweller may ask why anyone would need radio when a match can be streamed on a smartphone. But that question assumes everyone experiences media in the same way. Across Kenya, people are farming, running kiosks and businesses, travelling, working, driving and going about their daily routines. Radio fits into these activities because it does not require your eyes to be fixed on a screen.
That is the enduring power of radio as it goes where the audience goes. For football, this becomes even more compelling. The Premier League is not simply watched; it is followed, discussed, debated and lived. Radio commentary allows fans to experience every tackle, chance and goal while continuing with their day.
For advertisers, this creates a powerful opportunity. EPL broadcasts bring together the reach of radio, the passion of football and the engagement of audiences who deliberately tune in to follow the action. Brands advertising around these matches can therefore reach audiences at moments of heightened attention and emotional involvement.
And radio no longer has to operate in isolation. At Standard Group, the EPL experience extends from live commentary into digital engagement through polls, quizzes, questions and answers, predictions, listener-generated content and leaderboards. These interactive features turn listeners from passive consumers into participants, while connecting radio audiences with the wider Standard Group digital ecosystem.
This is where the future of radio lies, not radio versus digital, but radio and digital working together. The microphone creates the experience, while digital platforms extend the conversation. So perhaps we should stop asking, “Who still listens to radio?” and start asking, “Who are we missing when we assume they don't?” Wherever you are, on the farm, at the kiosk, on the road or in a matatu, Radio Maisha and Berur FM will be there with you.
