ABC National Newspaper Round-Up: February 2010

Daily Newspaper Market

The daily national newspaper market was down slightly period on period in February, by 0.3%, although year on year it suffered a 5.3% drop.

Just two daily titles enjoyed year on year increases in their circulations, while three were up period on period.

Quality Daily Titles

Looking at the Quality daily titles, the Financial Times was static on January 2010 at around 390,000 copies, although it fell almost 7.5% year on year.The Daily Telegraph and Times were down by 0.9% and 0.6% period on period respectively.

The Times now has a total circulation of 505,00 copies, while the Telegraph‘s stands at 685,000. Both were down by almost 17% year on year.

Following a 1.2% period on period fall, the Independent now has a total circulation of just under 184,000, while the Guardian‘s rests at under 285,000 following a fall of around 6%.

Mid-Market Daily Titles

Although the Daily Mail was down slightly period on period, by 0.4%, it still has a very impressive total circulation of 2.1 million.

Fellow Mid-Market title the Daily Express suffered a 0.3% period on period dip, leaving its total at around 673,000.

Popular Daily Titles

The Popular titles had a good month, with the Daily Mirror, Daily Record, and Daily Star all up on January. The Daily Mirror’s circulation grew 1.4% to 1.2 million, the Daily Record was up 1.3% to around 328,000, and the Daily Star performed best of all with a 3.1% increase giving it a total of almost 804,000 copies.

Although the Sun could only manage a 1.1% decline period on period, it was up 0.6% year on year, giving it a circulation of just under 3 million copies.

Sunday Newspaper Market

In the Sunday market four titles were up period on period, although not a single one saw year on year growth.

As with the daily titles, the Popular sector provided the biggest ray of light in an otherwise gloomy month.

Quality Sunday Titles

Having had a tough time of it recently, there was something to cheer for the Independent on Sunday in February as it recorded a 1.1% increase in its total, taking it to almost 156,000 copies.

The rest of the Quality Sunday market did not do so well, however, with the Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph both down by around 2%, to 1.1 million and 516,000 copies respectively.

Hardest hit though was the Observer, down 3.4% period on period and 20.4% year on year. Its circulation now stands at under 343,000 copies. The paper was relaunched at the end of the month, boasting four redesigned sections; News, Sport, the New Review and the Observer Magazine.

Mid-Market Sunday Titles

Dipping just below 2 million was the Mail on Sunday, down 3.4% period on period and 6.9% year on year, while the Sunday Express fell 1.7% period on period to around 575,000.

Popular Sunday Titles

There was better news though, as the Sunday Mirror was up 2.8% period on period to more than 1.1 million, the People was up 1.6% to 541,000, and the News of the World was up 0.3% to around 3 million.

The only Sunday Popular title not to record a period on period rise was the Daily Star Sunday, down 3.2% on January to around 347,000 copies.