National Newspaper ABC Round-Up – April 1999
The latest national newspaper circulation figures, released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) at the end of last week, show that most papers’ sales are falling. A monthly comparison of the six months to April 1999 shows that none of the papers has turned in any significant sales growth.
| National Newspaper April 1999 ABC Monthly Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Oct98-Mar99 | Nov98-Apr99 | Actual Change | % Ch |
| Daily Mail | 2,347,022 | 2,337,053 | -9,969 | -0.4 |
| Daily Record | 680,442 | 677,984 | -2,458 | -0.4 |
| Daily Star | 536,242 | 528,691 | -7,551 | -1.4 |
| Daily Telegraph | 1,043,330 | 1,042,950 | -380 | -0.0 |
| Express | 1,095,484 | 1,091,339 | -4,145 | -0.4 |
| Financial Times | 382,082 | 379,351 | -2,731 | -0.7 |
| Guardian | 396,984 | 398,437 | 1,453 | 0.4 |
| Independent | 221,310 | 221,441 | 131 | 0.1 |
| Independent On Sunday | 253,240 | 252,853 | -387 | -0.2 |
| Mail On Sunday | 2,325,750 | 2,293,237 | -32,513 | -1.4 |
| Mirror | 2,298,214 | 2,295,015 | -3,199 | -0.1 |
| Mirror & Daily Record | 2,978,656 | 2,972,999 | -5,657 | -0.2 |
| News Of The World | 4,252,692 | 4,226,617 | -26,075 | -0.6 |
| Observer | 404,672 | 404,346 | -326 | -0.1 |
| Racing Post | 73,271 | 75,390 | 2,119 | 2.9 |
| Scotland on Sunday | 125,199 | 123,432 | -1,767 | -1.4 |
| Scotsman | 79,760 | 79,820 | 60 | 0.1 |
| Sport First | 70,051 | 70,801 | 750 | 1.1 |
| Sun | 3,698,646 | 3,702,079 | 3,433 | 0.1 |
| Sunday Business | 52,084 | 53,084 | 1,000 | 1.9 |
| Sunday Express | 1,005,987 | 998,561 | -7,426 | -0.7 |
| Sunday Mirror | 1,986,913 | 1,969,568 | -17,345 | -0.9 |
| Sunday People | 1,676,721 | 1,665,120 | -11,601 | -0.7 |
| Sunday Sport | 221,545 | 215,607 | -5,938 | -2.7 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 814,986 | 814,976 | -10 | -0.0 |
| Sunday Times | 1,367,776 | 1,367,185 | -591 | -0.0 |
| Times | 748,761 | 744,342 | -4,419 | -0.6 |
| Total | 31,137,820 | 31,002,278 | -135,542 | -0.4 |
Quality Market Both the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph dropped sales year on year, by 3.4% and 4.8% respectively. The Times also suffered a loss 53,126 copy sales during this period.
The Independent, which has been struggling for some time with falling sales, appears to be stopping the rot. In the six months to April 1999, the Indy held steady when compared to the six months to March 1999. Year on year, for the same period, however, the paper still records a slight loss.
The Financial Times continues to do well year on year, but has fallen back a little month on month.
| Quality Market Nov 1998 – Apr 1999 ABC Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Nov97-Apr98 | Nov98-Apr99 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Telegraph | 1,080,159 | 1,042,950 | -37,209 | -3.4 |
| Financial Times | 347,011 | 379,351 | 32,340 | 9.3 |
| Guardian | 401,810 | 398,437 | -3,373 | -0.8 |
| Independent | 225,413 | 221,441 | -3,972 | -1.8 |
| Independent On Sunday | 264,106 | 252,853 | -11,253 | -4.3 |
| Observer | 417,009 | 404,346 | -12,663 | -3.0 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 855,772 | 814,976 | -40,796 | -4.8 |
| Sunday Times | 1,353,398 | 1,367,185 | 13,787 | 1.0 |
| Times | 797,468 | 744,342 | -53,126 | -6.7 |
| Total | 5,861,809 | 5,635,739 | -226,070 | -3.9 |
Mid Market The two Mail titles continue to forge ahead year on year, whilst the Express papers drop more and more copy sales. However, between October 1998 and April 1999, the Mail On Sunday dropped by 32,413. Meanwhile, the Express is launching a new advertising campaign, through the St Luke’s agency, which departs from the universally-lambasted ‘dashing Rosie Boycott-alike’ affair.
| Mid Market Nov 1998 – Apr 1999 ABC Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Nov97-Apr98 | Nov98-Apr99 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Mail | 2,268,533 | 2,337,053 | 68,520 | 3.0 |
| Express | 1,174,486 | 1,091,339 | -83,147 | -7.1 |
| Mail On Sunday | 2,208,384 | 2,293,237 | 84,853 | 3.8 |
| Sunday Express | 1,093,914 | 998,561 | -95,353 | -8.7 |
| Total | 6,745,317 | 6,720,190 | -25,127 | -0.4 |
Popular Market United News & Media, which owns the ailing Express papers, is also watching the circulation of its Daily Star red-top fall back – by 56,006 copies year on year in this audit.
The Sunday red-tops all continue to lose sales, with the News Of The World, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People all reporting lower circulations than a year ago. The Mirror Group’s Daily Record and Mirror papers are both holding ground.
| Popular Market Nov 1998 – Apr 1999 ABC Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Nov97-Apr98 | Nov98-Apr99 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Record | 674,753 | 677,984 | 3,231 | 0.5 |
| Daily Star | 584,697 | 528,691 | -56,006 | -9.6 |
| Mirror | 2,293,269 | 2,295,015 | 1,746 | 0.1 |
| News Of The World | 4,385,028 | 4,226,617 | -158,411 | -3.6 |
| Racing Post | 49,102 | 75,390 | 26,288 | 53.5 |
| Sun | 3,714,666 | 3,702,079 | -12,587 | -0.3 |
| Sunday Mirror | 2,119,012 | 1,969,568 | -149,444 | -7.1 |
| Sunday People | 1,779,676 | 1,665,120 | -114,556 | -6.4 |
| Total | 15,600,203 | 15,140,464 | -459,739 | -2.9 |
Subscribers can access the Press database by selecting “Press” from the drop-down box at the top of this page.