ABC Results Jul-Dec 2006:Troubled Times For Teen Magazines
The ABC figures for July to December 2006 show that the Teenage Magazine sector suffered a host of declining circulation figures.
Bliss, which was recently bought from Emap by Panini (see Blissful Acquisition For Panini), saw a very large decline, of over 45% year on year, a fall in actual terms of more than 125,000.
Also taking big hits in the sector were Essential Publishing’s TV Hits, which was down by more than 25% year on year, and CosmoGirl!, published by NatMags, which fell by almost 24% over the same period.
NatMags is currently developing an online weekly fashion and entertainment product for teen girls, going by the name Project Celia (see New Online Mag To Launch In March). Reports in the trade press claim that the digital only magazine could use CosmoGirl! branding.
Sugar, the title with the largest total circulation figure in the sector, of more than 200,500, suffered a year on year decline of almost 20%. However, it stayed relatively static period on period.
However, some magazines did manage to put in strong performances in what is an increasingly difficult sector to survive in.
Top Of The Pops, despite being named after a TV show that no longer exists, managed to increase its circulation by almost 9% year on year, taking its total figure to over 105,000, whilst Shout, published by DC Thomson & Co, was also up by almost 9% year on year, an increase in real terms of over 6,500.
| Teenage Magazines: Jul-Dec 2006 Year On Year Comparisons | |||||
| Title | Publisher | Jul-Dec 05 | Jul-Dec 06 | Actual Change | %Ch |
| Bliss | Panini UK Ltd | 277,165 | 151,729 | -125,436 | -45.3 |
| CosmoGirl! | National Magazine Company | 173,135 | 131,956 | -41,179 | -23.8 |
| It’s Hot | BBC Magazines | 64,321 | 57,013 | -7,308 | -11.4 |
| Mizz | Panini UK Ltd | 60,425 | 59,934 | -491 | -0.8 |
| Shout | DC Thomson & Co | 74,409 | 80,910 | 6,501 | 8.7 |
| Sugar | Hachette Filipacchi | 250,099 | 200,541 | -49,558 | -19.8 |
| Top Of The Pops | BBC Magazines | 96,576 | 105,025 | 8,449 | 8.7 |
| TV Hits | Essential Publishing Ltd | 63,644 | 47,321 | -16,323 | -25.6 |
The figures listed in NewsLine’s ABC reports are those reported by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) as at Thursday 15 February 2007. Late submissions and changes may be made after this date, and will thereafter be amended in MediaTel’s Press database.
ABC: 01442 870 800 www.abc.org.uk