ABC National Newspaper Round-Up: April 2007

Daily Newspaper Market

The national daily newspaper market in the UK saw around a 4% overall downturn in circulation year on year for April, according to the latest figures from the ABC.

It was a dismal picture across the board, with circulations shrinking in all sectors. The only title not to record a loss was the Daily Star, which remained static.

The Times recorded the most notable fall in the Quality sector, down by more than 25,500 copies year on year to leave its total at less than 630,000.

Both titles in the Mid-Market saw a slide of more than 70,000 issues each, whilst the Daily Mirror shed almost 118,000 year on year to leave its circulation at just over 1.5 million.

Quality Daily Titles

All titles in the Quality Daily sector saw their circulations fall year on year for April, with the Times suffering the greatest loss.

The title, whose Times Online portal is blossoming (see Newspapers’ Print Circulations Decline As Web Traffic Blossoms), recorded a drop in its total of more than 25,500 or almost 4%, to leave it final ABC at less than 630,000.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times, which was recently redesigned to make the newspaper more accessible and modern (see Redesign And Marketing Push To Modernise Financial Times). lost more than 9,000 copies from its total.

The 2% year on year drop saw the business brand’s print output fall to almost 453,000.

The Guardian, whose online offering recorded just over 15 million UK and international users during March (see ABCe Shows Guardian Unlimited On Top), shed around 8,000 issues year on year for the month to leave its total at around 366,500.

The Independent and the Daily Telegraph also experiences a loss from their final figures. Year on year the Indy’s total shrunk by around 3,400 (1.3%) whilst the Telegraph dropped 1,261 (0.1%).

The papers now report a total ABC of almost 250,000 and almost 900,000 respectively.

Mid-Market Daily Titles

Both the Daily Express and the Daily Mail reported a depressed final figure for April 2007 with declines of more than 70,000 copies for each title year on year.

Market leader the Daily Mail saw a 3% decrease, dropping around 70,700 to leave its total at around 2.3 million.

Competitor the Daily Express now reports a total of around 760,000, after shedding almost 9% from its total or more than 72,000 copies.

Popular Daily Titles

Most titles in the Popular sector experienced another troubled month, with just one paper adding marginally to its ABC for April.

Flesh obsessed red-top the Daily Star added 72 copies to its total year on year, leaving it with a total circulation of 770,313.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror suffered the worst actual drop, at almost 118,000 year on year. Its final figure now stands at over 1.5 million.

Market leader the Sun now sees its total standing at just over three million, after a 3.4% slump (around 107,000 copies in real terms.)

The Daily Record felt a 9.5% downturn, of almost 42,500 copies year on year for the month. Its total now rests at 404,187.

Sunday Newspaper Market

The Sunday newspaper market recorded an overall decrease in circulation of 6.3% year on year, a real term decline of just over 700,000.

All of the Sunday titles were down year on year for April, with the Daily Star Sunday recording the smallest percentage decrease.

The largest decline in real terms in the Sunday market was suffered by the News of the World, which was down by over 269,100.

Quality Sunday Titles

In the Quality sector, the Sunday Times felt the largest drop in circulation, of just over 102,500, although it remained the Sunday quality title with the highest circulation at 1.2 million.

The Observer was down by almost 40,500 or 8% year on year, leaving it with a total circulation figure of more than 463,000.

The Independent On Sunday was down by just over 5% year on year, leaving its circulation at around 244,800.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Telegraph had also fallen, by almost 2.5% year on year, a real term decline of almost 16,000.

Mid-Market Sunday Titles

In the Mid-Market, the Mail On Sunday suffered a relatively large downturn in circulation, of over 97,000 year on year, although its overall figure remained high at 2.3 million.

The other title in the Sunday Mid-Market, the Sunday Express, was also down, by around 50,000 copies year on year.

Popular Sunday Titles

In the Popular sector the largest declines in circulation were felt by the News of the World and the People. The News of the World remained the Sunday title with the highest circulation, at almost 3.3 million.

The People saw its circulation figure drop by around 121,500 year on year, a percentage decline of around 14.5%.

The Daily Star Sunday was the least hard hit of all the Sunday titles, shedding just under 2,000 copies year on year, leaving it with a total figure of over 383,200.

The Sunday Mirror had also declined year on year for April, by almost 5%, to leave its circulation at around 1.4 million.

Six Monthly Year On Year Analysis

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