National Newspaper ABC Round-Up – January 2001
Month on Month
Figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for January 2001 show that national newspaper circulation has grown by 2.6% month on month. Only four titles saw circulation losses during the period, while two showed neither loss nor gain.
The worst performers were the Express titles, under new owner Richard Desmond. Desmond is currently engaged in a dispute about ownership of the West Ferry printing plant, which, thanks to his Express buyout, he now controls jointly with Daily Telegraph chief executive Dan Colson. It is thought that Desmond is now trying to sell his share in order to raise capital for the ailing mid-market titles. The Sunday Express lost 5.1% of its circulation, or 47,000, during this period, while the Daily Express slipped below the 1m mark, losing 2.1% or 21,000 to 979,000.
The best gains were seen at either end of the quality spectrum. The Guardian and Independent on Sunday both added 5.9% to their circulation figures month on month, with the Guardian’s 23,000 taking it to 410,000. In the popular market, the Sun put in a solid month of circulation, adding 5.4% or 186,000.
| National Newspaper January 2001 ABC Monthly Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Dec 2000 | Jan 2001 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Express | 1,000,388 | 979,042 | -21,346 | -2.1 |
| Daily Mail | 2,377,756 | 2,479,768 | 102,012 | 4.3 |
| Daily Record | 599,323 | 603,914 | 4,591 | 0.8 |
| Daily Star | 538,461 | 543,807 | 5,346 | 1.0 |
| Daily Telegraph | 1,016,170 | 1,022,263 | 6,093 | 0.6 |
| Financial Times | 485,102 | 478,161 | -6,941 | -1.4 |
| Guardian | 387,190 | 410,152 | 22,962 | 5.9 |
| Independent | 223,133 | 223,645 | 512 | 0.2 |
| Independent On Sunday | 236,424 | 250,462 | 14,038 | 5.9 |
| Mail On Sunday | 2,360,559 | 2,373,007 | 12,448 | 0.5 |
| Mirror | 2,111,026 | 2,149,422 | 38,396 | 1.8 |
| News Of The World | 3,848,954 | 4,026,288 | 177,334 | 4.6 |
| Observer | 428,451 | 440,090 | 11,639 | 2.7 |
| Racing Post | 70,684 | 70,653 | -31 | -0.0 |
| Sport First | 80,609 | 82,816 | 2,207 | 2.7 |
| Sun | 3,439,835 | 3,626,561 | 186,726 | 5.4 |
| Sunday Business | 54,010 | 53,989 | -21 | -0.0 |
| Sunday Express | 927,032 | 879,622 | -47,410 | -5.1 |
| Sunday Mirror | 1,768,349 | 1,831,572 | 63,223 | 3.6 |
| Sunday People | 1,444,406 | 1,489,260 | 44,854 | 3.1 |
| Sunday Sport | 192,423 | 198,263 | 5,840 | 3.0 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 807,889 | 796,840 | -11,049 | -1.4 |
| Sunday Times | 1,344,190 | 1,416,080 | 71,890 | 5.3 |
| Times | 723,428 | 734,220 | 10,792 | 1.5 |
| Total | 26,465,792 | 27,159,897 | 715,451 | 2.6 |
Year on Year
Quality Market
In the quality market, year on year movement was just 1.6% to the positive overall. The biggest moves within this were seen at the financial titles. Newcomer Sunday Business dropped 5,800, representing 9.5% of its circulation. The Financial Times, meanwhile, managed a year on year increase of 12.4% or 52,000, bringing its circulation to 474,000.
| Quality Market Aug 00 – Jan ’01 ABC YoY Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Aug 99 – Jan 00 | Aug 00 – Jan 01 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Telegraph | 1,036,348 | 1,020,718 | -15,630 | -1.5 |
| Financial Times | 421,893 | 474,035 | 52,142 | 12.4 |
| Guardian | 394,162 | 397,585 | 3,423 | 0.9 |
| Independent | 224,554 | 229,863 | 5,309 | 2.4 |
| Independent On Sunday | 249,548 | 249,980 | 432 | 0.2 |
| Observer | 407,770 | 443,232 | 35,462 | 8.7 |
| Sunday Business | 61,416 | 55,603 | -5,813 | -9.5 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 822,032 | 804,785 | -17,247 | -2.1 |
| Sunday Times | 1,348,604 | 1,382,978 | 34,374 | 2.5 |
| Times | 724,680 | 721,506 | -3,174 | -0.4 |
| Total | 5,691,007 | 5,780,285 | 89,278 | 1.6 |
Mid Market
The mid market looked weak year on year for this period, its drop of 0.6% overall mainly made up of the Express titles’ losses. The Daily Express lost 28,000 or 2.7%, while its Sunday sister lost 3.3% or 32,000 to drop below the 950,000 mark. Only the Daily Mail had any good fortune in this sector, gaining 1% or 24,000.
| Mid Market Aug’00 – Jan ’01 ABC YoY Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Aug 99 – Jan 00 | Aug 00- Jan 01 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Express | 1,053,962 | 1,025,488 | -28,474 | -2.7 |
| Daily Mail | 2,365,051 | 2,388,884 | 23,833 | 1.0 |
| Mail On Sunday | 2,304,851 | 2,300,336 | -4,515 | -0.2 |
| Sunday Express | 977,504 | 945,318 | -32,186 | -3.3 |
| Total | 6,701,368 | 6,660,026 | -41,342 | -0.6 |
Popular Market
The popular market was the worst performing sector, with a year on year overall circulation drop of 2.1%. Sport First showed the largest percentage decrease, losing 13.3% or 12,000. The Daily Star fared best, adding nearly 30,000 or 5.7%
The News of the World continues to command by far the largest circulation in the sector, with over 4m, despite losing 1.5% or 63,000 during this period.
| Popular Market Aug ’00 – Jan ’01 ABC YoY Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Aug 99 – Jan 00 | Aug 00 – Jan 01 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Record | 636,947 | 613,099 | -23,848 | -3.7 |
| Daily Star | 518,011 | 547,656 | 29,645 | 5.7 |
| Mirror | 2,297,405 | 2,222,811 | -74,594 | -3.2 |
| News Of The World | 4,093,079 | 4,029,945 | -63,134 | -1.5 |
| Racing Post | 73,361 | 73,957 | 596 | 0.8 |
| Sport First | 93,016 | 80,678 | -12,338 | -13.3 |
| Sun | 3,584,020 | 3,614,303 | 30,283 | 0.8 |
| Sunday Mirror | 1,989,940 | 1,888,318 | -101,622 | -5.1 |
| Sunday People | 1,583,535 | 1,496,246 | -87,289 | -5.5 |
| Sunday Sport | 208,259 | 200,874 | -7,385 | -3.5 |
| Total | 15,077,573 | 14,767,887 | -309,686 | -2.1 |
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