The Hits vs ZM:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?
In August 2026, The Hits and ZM were level on Share of Search among radio stations in New Zealand, with an estimated 10.6K versus 10.4K branded searches, at 4.6% estimated Share of Search each.
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Which is more popular in search, The Hits or ZM?
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 The Hits, ZM. 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 The Hits and ZM comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 11 months ending August 2026: ZM took it in April 2026, The Hits took it in May 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, The Hits’ estimated Share of Search among radio stations in New Zealand moved from 4.7% to 4.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 11.2K to 10.6K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, ZM’s estimated Share of Search among radio stations in New Zealand moved from 3.5% to 4.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.3K to 10.4K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand radio stations in August 2026?
3 changes
In August 2026, Radio Hauraki overtook The Hits to rank 5th among radio stations in New Zealand, at 6.6%.
In August 2026, The Hits lost estimated Share of Search among radio stations in New Zealand, from 5.9% to 4.6%.
In August 2026, ZM rose from 9th to 8th among radio stations in New Zealand.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using The Hits’ and ZM’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.
The Hits
24 branded search terms
- radio the hits
- The Hits
- the hits auckland
- the hits chch
- the hits christchurch
- the hits dunedin
- the hits fm
- the hits hawkes bay
- the hits just played
- the hits listen live
- the hits live
- the hits live radio
- the hits manawatu
- the hits northland
- the hits nz
- the hits radio
- the hits radio live
- the hits radio station
- the hits rotorua
- the hits southland
- the hits taranaki
- the hits tauranga
- the hits waikato
- the hits wellington
ZM
14 branded search terms
- iheartradio zm
- live zm
- online zm
- radio zm
- ZM
- zm auckland
- zm dunedin
- zm listen live
- zm live
- zm online
- zm online nz
- zm radio
- zm secret sound
- zm wellington
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.