Newstalk ZB vs The Rock:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?
In August 2026, Newstalk ZB had more branded searches than The Rock among radio stations in New Zealand. Newstalk ZB was estimated to have 62.4K branded searches compared to The Rock’s 34.1K, and held a 27.5% Share of Search versus The Rock’s 15%.
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Which is more popular in search, Newstalk ZB or The Rock?
Compare New Zealand commercial and public radio stations, using branded searches made in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Newstalk ZB, The Rock. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Newstalk ZB | RNZ National | The Rock | The Breeze | Radio Hauraki | More FM | The Hits | ZM | Coast | The Edge | Magic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 26.3% | 22.9% | 11.4% | 8.3% | 5.1% | 7.6% | 4.7% | 3.5% | 5.4% | 3% | 1.8% |
| Nov 2025 | 24.1% | 24% | 9.8% | 10.2% | 5.7% | 6.7% | 4.5% | 3.6% | 5.9% | 3.1% | 2.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 26.6% | 22.6% | 9.7% | 9.3% | 6.4% | 6.7% | 4.4% | 3.5% | 6.6% | 2.8% | 1.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 27.4% | 24.4% | 8.1% | 8% | 6.5% | 6.6% | 4.5% | 4.4% | 6% | 2.9% | 1.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 26.8% | 23.1% | 8.8% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 8.1% | 5% | 4.8% | 5.4% | 2.9% | 0.94% |
| Mar 2026 | 27.9% | 24.5% | 8.9% | 7.8% | 5.4% | 7.9% | 4.3% | 4% | 5.5% | 2.9% | 0.82% |
| Apr 2026 | 29.9% | 25.7% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 4.8% | 6.2% | 3.8% | 4% | 4.8% | 2.5% | 0.73% |
| May 2026 | 26.1% | 23.3% | 9.4% | 9% | 5.1% | 7.7% | 5% | 4.6% | 6% | 3.2% | 0.62% |
| Jun 2026 | 26.8% | 23.7% | 9.1% | 8.6% | 5.2% | 7.6% | 5.3% | 4.1% | 6.2% | 2.8% | 0.61% |
| Jul 2026 | 27.3% | 24.1% | 10% | 8.3% | 5.3% | 6.5% | 5.9% | 4.1% | 5.2% | 2.8% | 0.59% |
| Aug 2026 | 27.5% | 20.2% | 15% | 7.6% | 6.6% | 6.4% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 4.5% | 2.5% | 0.63% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Newstalk ZB and The Rock comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Newstalk ZB was ahead of The Rock in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Newstalk ZB’s estimated Share of Search among radio stations in New Zealand moved from 26.3% to 27.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 62.4K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, The Rock’s estimated Share of Search among radio stations in New Zealand moved from 11.4% to 15%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.2K to 34.1K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand radio stations in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, The Rock gained estimated Share of Search among radio stations in New Zealand, from 10% to 15%.
Newstalk ZB’s estimated Share of Search among radio stations in New Zealand has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 26.1% to 27.5% in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Newstalk ZB’s and The Rock’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Newstalk ZB
3 branded search terms
- 1ZB
- Newstalk ZB
- newstalkzb
The Rock
12 branded search terms
- fm the rock
- rova the rock
- The Rock
- the rock 2000
- the rock fm
- the rock fm new zealand
- the rock fm nz
- the rock fm station
- the rock nz
- the rock radio
- the rock radio station
- the rock rova
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.