NRS PADD: Mail dominates as Guardian sees strong growth

The National Readership Survey (NRS) has today released its latest figures combining both print and online for newsbrands between January 2013 and December 2013.

The Daily Mail continues to lead the ranks with a combined readership of almost 20 million – up 6.1% on the last period and 4.5 million ahead of second-spot rival, the Sun.

However, while the Sun’s online readership has declined significantly since introducing a paywall last summer, recording just under 2.2 million average browsers, the newsbrand’s print readership exceeds all other titles at just over 13.5 million.

Nevertheless, The Sun’s dwindling online following meant that the newsbrand was down -3.5% overall, compared with other red tops which did reasonably well over the period, with the Daily Mirror and Daily Record up 8.3% and 7%, respectively.

Despite recording a -16.3% decline last period, the Guardian’s print and digital readership was up a healthy 18.5% this time round, securing a combined total of 12.3 million readers – marginally ahead of the Daily Mirror and The Daily Telegraph.

In contrast to a 21% increase in readership last period, the Independent/’i’ titles – which are now combined by the NRS – were up just 0.7% this period. Last month, it was announced that the Lebedevs have been looking to sell the titles in a bid to “offload loss-making papers that they see no prospect of turning into profit.”

However, in what looks like a move to strengthen its digital arm, the Independent has unveiled a new hybrid ‘digital newspaper’ app for tablets and smartphones that combines a mixture of newspaper design with digital interactivity.

The Financial Times saw the biggest decline in combined readership, down a huge -28.4%. The newsbrand recorded a slightly stronger print readership compared with online – 1.5 million and 1 million, respectively.

Though down -4.8% in combined readership and recording the weakest online figures at just over half a million, the Times continues to maintain a reasonably loyal print following at 4.5 million.

The article was amended on 27 February 2014: the article originally said between January 2012 and December 2013.