ABC National Newspaper Round-Up: December 2009

Daily Newspaper Market

December saw the daily national newspaper market fall by 3% period on period and by 4.7% overall on the same period last year.

All the titles in the daily sector reported period on period losses with the exception of the Independent.

Quality Daily Titles

In the quality sector, the Independent enjoyed a slight increase of 0.2% in December, which takes its total circulation up to almost 187,000 copies.

The Financial Times, meanwhile, suffered the smallest percentage loss, of just 0.1%, which leaves its circulation fairly static at around 401,000.

The Guardian also witnessed minimal change after a 1.5% period on period drop left its total at around 300,500 copies.

However, the Daily Telegraph and The Times both suffered a real term loss of more than 40,000 copies each.

The Times recorded the highest period on period percentage fall in the sector of 7.4%, which leaves it with 521,500 copies, down from more than 563,000 copies in November.

The Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, posted a slightly lower 5.5% period on period decline, taking its total to 703,000 copies – which is still the highest in the category.

Mid-Market Daily Titles

The Daily Express recorded a 1.1% period on period dip in December, which leaves its total below 678,000 copies.

The Daily Mail, meanwhile, suffered a 1.6% fall, which is a significant real term loss of more than 35,000 copies.  However, the paper’s total still sits above 2.1 million copies.

Popular Daily Titles

The Popular sector suffered the most in terms of percentage falls in December.

The Daily Record‘s total dropped by more than 8,000 copies to below 315,000 after a 2.6% period on period slump.

The Daily Mirror lost a similar amount – down 2.7% in December.  However, the red-top’s total still remains healthy at more than 1.2 million copies.

The Daily Star, meanwhile, recorded a higher percentage fall of 4.7% period on period, but was up by 8.2% year on year.  As a result, its total now sits just below 785,000 copies.

The Sun lost a substantial 95,000 copies in December, after a 3.2% period on period drop.  However, it still boasts the highest circulation in the daily market with a total of almost 2.9 million copies.

Sunday Newspaper Market

The overall Sunday newspaper sector suffered a 3.8% period on period circulation decline in December.

None of the titles in the sector managed to post a period on period or year on year increase.

Quality Sunday Titles

The Independent on Sunday posted a small 0.7% period on period dip in December, leaving its total at around 155,000 copies.

The Observer, meanwhile, was down by 5.8% period on period to 351,000 copies.

The Sunday Telegraph suffered the highest percentage fall in the month, down 9%, which has taken its total circulation down to 525,000 copies from 577,000 in November.

The Sunday Times managed to retain its crown as the highest-selling quality title in the Sunday market with a total of more than 1.1 million, despite recording a 5% period on period decline.

Mid-Market Sunday Titles

The Mail on Sunday still boasts an impressive circulation of more than 2 million copies despite posting a 3.4% period on period drop.

The Sunday Express, meanwhile, fell by 0.7% period on period to below 591,000 copies.

Popular Sunday Titles

The People recorded the smallest percentage loss in December, dipping just 0.2% period on period to below 533,000 copies.

The Daily Star Sunday also remained fairly static after a slight 0.3% drop to 353,000 copies.

The Sunday Mirror, meanwhile, posted a 3.0% period on period fall, leaving its total at 1.1 million copies.

The News of the World was down by 4.5% period on period in December, a real term loss of more than 131,000 copies.  As a result, the title’s circulation now sits below 2.8 million copies, although it still remains the highest selling newspaper in the Sunday market.