May ABCs: Dailies down, Sunday titles (mostly) flying

Daily market

No title in the quality, mid or popular markets was able to record any growth in circulation throughout May 2018. Only the Metro (UK footprint) – a freebie – was up (but negligible at +0.1%).

That said, none of the declines between April and May were too severe. In the quality market the hardest hit title was The Guardian, down -1.1% to a total circulation of just 141,000, making it the worst ranked title.

The FT was also down -1% to 181,300, while The Times was down -0.6% to 431,000 and the Daily Telegraph was pretty much steady at -0.1% and a circulation of 376,700.

Elsewhere in the mid market, the Daily Express was down -1.6 to 340,600 and the Daily Mail was down -0.9% and certainly has nothing much to worry about with a circulation of 1.28m, making it the second-best selling national newspaper after the Sun.

In the popular market the Sun was down -1.5% to 1.47m, while the Daily Star was hardest hit of all titles with a decline of -3.6% – and drop of almost 14,000 to 370,600.

Overall, the daily market was down -0.9%.

Sunday market

There was much better news in the Sunday market where eight of the 11 titles made some solid gains between April and May.

All the titles in the quality market were up, with the Sunday Times shifting an extra 38,000 copies (+5.2%) and the Sunday Telegraph 11,500 (+3.9%).

In the mid market the Mail on Sunday was up 3.7% and the Sunday Express up 5.3%, while in the popular market the Sunday Mirror shifted an extra 10,000 copies (+2%) and the Sun on Sunday an extra 19,200 (+1.5%).

Overall, the Sunday market was up 2.7%.

London Free Press

Overall the London free press market was up +0.4% in May, with no change in circulation for the Metro, while the London Evening Standard was up +2.5% and City A.M. down -4.4%.