According to the latest data from ABC, newsbrand circulations have dropped significantly across the board since the Covid-19 pandemic first hit the UK in March, with no title able to record any growth.
Here are the key points to take away from the data:
1. The Guardian and the Daily Mail were the most resilient titles
Although it was a challenging month for newsbrands, two titles fared slightly better than the rest of the field. The Guardian and the Daily Mail both recorded a -14.6% drop in circulation compared to March this year.
2. Fewer commuters means big circulation dips for free titles
Even as the country has been slowly returning to work, the number of commuters regularly reading free titles such as the Metro or London Evening Standard is significantly lower than pre-Covid. Metro’s UK footprint (the collective circulation of regional editions) was squeezed, down -64.1% since March. The Evening Standard recorded a -37.1% fall for the same period.
With stricter Covid restrictions back in place and the workforce encouraged to continue working from home where possible, the number of commuters travelling to and from offices is unlikely to rise back to pre-Covid levels in the near future.
3. Sunday titles collectively fared better than dailies
Circulation figures for Sunday titles held up better than their daily equivalents. Overall, the Sunday market was only -15.3% down on pre-lockdown figures.
It should be noted that circulation figures for the Sun, Sun on Sunday, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph, Times and Sunday Times have not been publicly reported by ABC, following the implementation of new reporting options which allow publishers to opt out of making their figures publicly available.
A complete breakdown of the circulation figures for each newsbrand can be found by Mediatel Connected subscribers in the tables below.
| Daily Titles | Aug ’19 | Mar ’20 | Aug ’20 | YoY Actual Ch | YoY % Ch | PoP Actual Ch | PoP % Ch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QUALITY | |||||||
| Financial Times | 162,972 | 146,373 | 94,395 | -68,577 | -42.08 | -51,978 | -35.51 |
| Guardian | 128,265 | 129,961 | 109,533 | -18,732 | -14.60 | -20,428 | -15.72 |
| i | 228,754 | 215,640 | 151,760 | -76,994 | -33.66 | -63,880 | -29.62 |
| MID MARKET | |||||||
| Daily Express | 305,629 | 289,393 | 251,736 | -53,893 | -17.63 | -37,657 | -13.01 |
| Daily Mail | 1,164,025 | 1,132,908 | 994,081 | -169,944 | -14.60 | -138,827 | -12.25 |
| POPULAR | |||||||
| Daily Mirror | 482,194 | 442,610 | 388,718 | -93,476 | -19.39 | -53,892 | -12.18 |
| Daily Record | 111,829 | 102,906 | 91,556 | -20,273 | -18.13 | -11,350 | -11.03 |
| Daily Star | 303,425 | 276,453 | 237,266 | -66,159 | -21.80 | -39,187 | -14.17 |
| OTHER | |||||||
| Metro (UK footprint – Mon-Fri) | 1,402,836 | 1,326,213 | 504,226 | -898,610 | -64.06 | -821,987 | -61.98 |
| Total Daily | 4,289,929 | 4,062,457 | 2,823,271 | -1,466,658 | -34.19 | -34 | -30.50 |
Source: ABC
August 2020 circulation figures are not available for Daily Telegraph; Sun and Times
| Sunday Titles | Aug ’19 | Mar ’20 | Aug ’20 | YoY Actual Ch | YoY % Ch | PoP Actual Ch | PoP % Ch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QUALITY | |||||||
| Observer | 155,465 | 156,174 | 139,851 | -15,614 | -10.04 | -16,323 | -10.45 |
| MID MARKET | |||||||
| Mail On Sunday | 979,169 | 952,914 | 872,375 | -106,794 | -10.91 | -80,539 | -8.45 |
| Sunday Express | 265,699 | 252,118 | 221,385 | -44,314 | -16.68 | -30,733 | -12.19 |
| Sunday Post | 94,732 | 84,607 | 73,547 | -21,185 | -22.36 | -11,060 | -13.07 |
| POPULAR | |||||||
| Daily Star Sunday | 180,923 | 163,695 | 141,011 | -39,912 | -22.06 | -22,684 | -13.86 |
| Sunday Mirror | 395,932 | 354,375 | 316,962 | -78,970 | -19.95 | -37,413 | -10.56 |
| Sunday People | 150,437 | 134,931 | 125,216 | -25,221 | -16.77 | -9,715 | -7.20 |
| Total Sundays | 2,066,892 | 1,942,640 | 1,750,496 | -316,396 | -15.31 | -15 | -9.89 |
Source: ABC
August 2020 circulation figures are not available for Sun on Sunday; Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Times
| London Free Press | Aug ’19 | Mar ’20 | Aug ’20 | YoY Actual Ch | YoY % Ch | PoP Actual Ch | PoP % Ch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Evening Standard | 816,813 | 700,191 | 514,040 | -302,773 | -37.07 | -302,773 | -26.59 |
| Metro (London) | 845,577 | 792,860 | 310,697 | -534,880 | -63.26 | -534,880 | -60.81 |
| Total London Press | 1,662,390 | 1,493,051 | 824,737 | -837,653 | -50.39 | -837,653 | -44.76 |
Source: ABC
August 2020 circulation figures are not available for City AM
