ABC Results Jan-Jun 2006:Celeb Titles Prosper As Teen And Men’s Markets Struggle

The latest ABC results for the six months to June 2006 show that Take A Break, Closer and Heat are the top three highest selling women’s weekly titles, proving that women retain an appetite for real life stories, lifestyle and celeb-focused gossip.

Despite losing nearly 10% of sales year on year, Take A Break sits comfortably at the top spot, with nearly double the circulation of its near rival. Meanwhile Emap’s Closer and Heat have both bolstered sales, up by 9% and 3.5% respectively.

The teen market has shown marked declines, as the online revolution lures youngsters to the internet, forcing titles Smash Hits and Sneak to fold. There was the odd exception, however, with Shout adding more than 20% to its sales year on year.

Overall, the latest ABC figures show the Men’s magazine market to have suffered, with leading title FHM losing more than 139,450 sales year on year, dipping almost 25% to leave it with a circulation of 420,688.

The gap between first and second place in the sector has narrowed, with weekly title Nuts now boasting sales of more than 304,700, having remained fairly static year on year.

There were some glimmers of hope for Men’s mags, however, with both Stuff and Men’s Health adding significantly to their sales.

Comprehensive analysis of key magazine sectors will follow on NewsLine throughout the day.

ABC: 01442 870 800 www.abc.org.uk