ABC Jul – Dec 2001: Teenage Titles
The figures listed in NewsLine’s ABC reports are those reported by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) as at Thursday 14 February 2002. Late submissions and changes may be made after this date, and will thereafter be amended in MediaTel’s Press database. For full notes on how NewsLine’s reports are compiled please see Important Notes: ABC Jul-Dec 2001.
Natmags’ CosmoGirl! made an impressive entrance into the notoriously fickle Teenage market, in which every other title saw circulation decline year on year. The three month old “baby glossy” reported a debut circulation of 170,629, placing it in a strong mid-market position ahead of IPC’s Mizz, with 144,933 and just behind Emap’s J17, which saw circulation drop 10% to 180,351.
The appearance of CosmoGirl!on the teen scene prevented the sector from experiencing the heavy year on year loss seen in the Men’s Lifestyle market. Overall the Teen sector saw circulation fall by just 0.1%.
Elsewhere, the gap between Attic Futura’s market leading title Sugar, which saw circulation fall 8.8% to 385,165, and its closest rival Bliss remained significant. Despite Emap Elan’s attempt to reposition Bliss as the “ultimate baby glossy” in December (see Emap Elan Poaches Cosmo Deputy Editor) the title saw circulation fall 14.8% to 255,652.
The sector’s heaviest casualty was BBC Worldwide’s Live & Kicking, which saw circulation slide 41.7% to 67,784, reflecting the demise of the Live & Kicking TV show, which was axed last Autumn after failing to compete with ITV1’s SMTV:Live. BBC Worldwide’s Top Of The Pops magazine also performed poorly, reporting a 19.6% drop in circulation and Attic Futura’s TV Hits saw a 25.1% slide to 151,252.
Despite floundering circulations and toughening competition Natmags is not the only publisher to have displayed confidence in the sector recently. The second issue of Emap’s recently launched Elle Girl (see Elle Girl Launch Date Announced) is due out this week, although the title has yet to submit an ABC audit, while Emap Performance is poised to launch a new glossy weekly teen magazine codenamed “Monkey” (see Emap To Launch New Teen Weekly).
| Teenage Market YoY Comparisons | |||||
| Title | Publisher | Jul 00 – Dec 00 | Jul 01 – Dec 01 | Actual Change | %Ch |
| Bliss | Emap Elan | 300,191 | 255,653 | -44,538 | -14.8 |
| CosmoGirl! (N) | National Magazine Company | n/a | 170,629 | n/a | n/a |
| J17 | Emap Elan | 200,330 | 180,351 | -19,979 | -10.0 |
| Live & Kicking | BBC Magazines | 116,255 | 67,784 | -48,471 | -41.7 |
| Mizz | IPC Media | 163,672 | 144,933 | -18,739 | -11.4 |
| Mizz Special Series (R) | IPC Media | n/a | 139,323 | n/a | n/a |
| Shout | DC Thompson & Co | 123,360 | 111,069 | -12,291 | -10.0 |
| Smash Hits | Emap Performance | 221,622 | 200,212 | -21,410 | -9.7 |
| Sugar | Attic Futura | 422,179 | 385,165 | -37,014 | -8.8 |
| Top Of The Pops | BBC Magazines | 305,122 | 245,423 | -59,699 | -19.6 |
| TV Hits | Attic Futura | 201,855 | 151,252 | -50,603 | -25.1 |
| Total | 2,054,586 | 2,051,794 | -2,792 | -0.1 | |
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