National Newspaper ABC Round-Up – December 2000
Month On Month
The latest figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) show national newspaper circulation decreasing by 1.5% during December 2000. All but seven titles slipped in a month on month analysis.
The Independent and Independent on Sunday saw the sharpest falls across the period, the Independent falling 7.3% to 223,000 while its sister title lost 8.2% of its circulation base, which now stands at 236,000. Sharp losses were also felt at Sport First, down 6% to 80,600.
The Mail on Sunday added 100,000 to its circulation however, taking it to a healthy 2.4m; stablemate the Daily Mail has also reached the 2.4m mark, up 1.4%. Their gain is at the expense of midmarket rivals Daily Express (down 3.2%) and Sunday Express (down 2.5%) as readers react to new owner Richard Desmond.
| National Newspaper December 2000 ABC Monthly Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Nov 2000 | Dec 2000 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Express | 1,033,858 | 1,000,388 | -33,470 | -3.2 |
| Daily Mail | 2,345,099 | 2,377,756 | 32,657 | 1.4 |
| Daily Record | 601,854 | 599,323 | -2,531 | -0.4 |
| Daily Star | 537,085 | 538,461 | 1,376 | 0.3 |
| Daily Telegraph | 1,014,011 | 1,016,170 | 2,159 | 0.2 |
| Financial Times | 483,379 | 485,102 | 1,723 | 0.4 |
| Guardian | 398,332 | 387,190 | -11,142 | -2.8 |
| Independent | 240,714 | 223,133 | -17,581 | -7.3 |
| Independent On Sunday | 257,491 | 236,424 | -21,067 | -8.2 |
| Mail On Sunday | 2,259,822 | 2,360,559 | 100,737 | 4.5 |
| Mirror | 2,175,647 | 2,111,026 | -64,621 | -3.0 |
| News Of The World | 3,949,078 | 3,848,954 | -100,124 | -2.5 |
| Observer | 440,864 | 428,451 | -12,413 | -2.8 |
| Racing Post | 71,685 | 70,684 | -1,001 | -1.4 |
| Sport First | 85,775 | 80,609 | -5,166 | -6.0 |
| Sun | 3,508,319 | 3,439,835 | -68,484 | -2.0 |
| Sunday Business | 55,069 | 54,010 | -1,059 | -1.9 |
| Sunday Express | 950,802 | 927,032 | -23,770 | -2.5 |
| Sunday Mirror | 1,863,266 | 1,768,349 | -94,917 | -5.1 |
| Sunday People | 1,471,675 | 1,444,406 | -27,269 | -1.9 |
| Sunday Sport | 202,973 | 192,423 | -10,550 | -5.2 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 805,181 | 807,889 | 2,708 | 0.3 |
| Sunday Times | 1,409,507 | 1,344,190 | -65,317 | -4.6 |
| Times | 712,592 | 723,428 | 10,836 | 1.5 |
| Total | 26,874,078 | 26,465,792 | -374,816 | -1.5 |
Year On Year
Quality Market
Sales of broadsheet newspapers were on the increase in a yearly analysis. Overall the market was up 1.8% – or 14,000 copies – as the Financial Times (up 13.2%) and the Observer (up 9.6%) continued their upward trend. The Sunday Business was down however, losing 4.1% of its circulation base, which now stands at 56,000.
| Quality Market Jul 00 – Dec ’00 ABC YoY Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Jul 99 – Dec 99 | Jul 00 – Dec 00 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Telegraph | 1,035,688 | 1,021,013 | -14,675 | -1.4 |
| Financial Times | 414,469 | 469,057 | 54,588 | 13.2 |
| Guardian | 391,387 | 394,913 | 3,526 | 0.9 |
| Independent | 224,391 | 229,544 | 5,153 | 2.3 |
| Independent On Sunday | 247,486 | 247,770 | 284 | 0.1 |
| Observer | 402,776 | 441,607 | 38,831 | 9.6 |
| Sunday Business | 58,885 | 56,478 | -2,407 | -4.1 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 822,094 | 805,591 | -16,503 | -2.0 |
| Sunday Times | 1,334,410 | 1,367,095 | 32,685 | 2.4 |
| Times | 721,160 | 719,595 | -1,565 | -0.2 |
| Total | 5,652,746 | 5,752,663 | 99,917 | 1.8 |
Mid Market
There was little change amongst mid-market titles in a yearly analysis for the six month period to December 2000. Overall the market slipped only 0.6%, although both Express titles continue to decline. The Daily Express lost 2.5% of its circulation base which now stands at just over a million while sister stablemate lost 2.4% and now hovers around the 950,000 mark.
| Mid Market Jul’00 – Dec’00 ABC YoY Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Jul 99 – Dec 99 | Jul 00 – Dec 00 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Express | 1,058,900 | 1,032,471 | -26,429 | -2.5 |
| Daily Mail | 2,367,315 | 2,382,369 | 15,054 | 0.6 |
| Mail On Sunday | 2,299,641 | 2,291,847 | -7,794 | -0.3 |
| Sunday Express | 980,411 | 956,864 | -23,547 | -2.4 |
| Total | 6,706,267 | 6,663,551 | -42,716 | -0.6 |
Popular Market
The popular market fell 1.9% and now totals 14.8m overall. Biggest loser was Sport First, which saw a 14.6% decrease to its circulation base, followed by the Sunday People (down 5.2%) and the Sunday Mirror (down 4.1%). The Daily Star, under new owner Richard Desmond, bucked the trend however, putting on 4.7% to 547,000.
| Popular Market Jul 00 – Dec ’00 ABC YoY Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Jul 99 – Dec 99 | Jul 00 – Dec 00 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Record | 637,353 | 613,927 | -23,426 | -3.7 |
| Daily Star | 522,295 | 546,991 | 24,696 | 4.7 |
| Mirror | 2,317,459 | 2,244,274 | -73,185 | -3.2 |
| News Of The World | 4,074,474 | 4,028,441 | -46,033 | -1.1 |
| Racing Post | 74,529 | 74,913 | 384 | 0.5 |
| Sport First | 89,802 | 76,664 | -13,138 | -14.6 |
| Sun | 3,596,212 | 3,608,827 | 12,615 | 0.4 |
| Sunday Mirror | 1,985,470 | 1,904,858 | -80,612 | -4.1 |
| Sunday People | 1,581,847 | 1,499,224 | -82,623 | -5.2 |
| Sunday Sport | 207,458 | 200,086 | -7,372 | -3.6 |
| Total | 15,086,899 | 14,798,205 | -288,694 | -1.9 |
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