Price Rises For Sunday Tabloids As Circulations Dip
News International’s recent decision to increase the cover price of its flagship Sunday tabloid, News of the World, means that readers now pay around 17% more for the title than they did five years ago.
Last week the paper announced that it would raise its price by 5p to 75p in a move that brings it alongside Trinity Mirror’s People, but means it costs less than its main tabloid rival, the Sunday Mirror (see News Of The World To Boost Cover Price).
Analysis of monthly ABC figures going back to April 1999 shows that the News of the World has seen its circulation decline by 8.3% over the last five years to just below the 3.9 million mark.
The Sunday Mirror has seen its cover price rise by more than 33% during the same period to 80p. This coincides with a sharp 20.5% decline in circulation for the title, which now sells just under 1.6 million copies each month, making it the sector’s second most popular title.
The figures also show that Trinity Mirror’s People has experienced a 50% hike in its cover price since April 1999. Circulation has dropped by more than 37% to just over 1 million despite an extensive £2 million overhaul to improve its fortunes.
Meanwhile, at the lower end of the market, Sport First has seen its cover price more than double from 50p in April 1999 to its current news-stand price of £1.20. The title appears to be in long-term decline with circulation dipping by a worrying 56.8% during the same period to below the 30,000 mark.
The Sunday Sport is the only title in the sector not to have increased its cover price during the last five years. However, this has not had any positive impact on circulation, which dipped by more than 27% since spring 1999.
Popular Sunday titles have had a rough ride recently following increased competition from Richard Desmond’s Daily Star Sunday, which launched in September 2002 with a no nonsense approach to news and sport. The title has seen circulation hold firm at around the 500,000 mark, placing it in the middle of the sector in terms of sales (see NewsLine Feature: Sunday Star Hopes To Shine).
News International: 020 7782 3922 www.newscorp.co.uk
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