National Newspaper ABC Round-Up – January 2002
IMPORTANT NOTE: This report was compiled using the figures issued by the ABC at the time. Since then, due to a routine inspection of multiple copy sales, the August-January figure for the Guardian has been amended to 410,038, giving it a 3.13% increase year on year, while the August-January figure for the Observer has been amended to 461,752, giving a 4.18% year on year increase. The Press database has been duly changed.
ABC circulation figures for the first month of 2002 showed some positive news for the national newspaper market, with a month on month rise in total circulation of 4.4%.
The most impressive performance in the month on month analysis came from the re-financed, renamed and relaunched The Business (see Sunday Business Set For Relaunch) , which saw a 54.3% month on month increase in circulation now that it goes on the stands on Mondays as well as Sundays. Its 28,767 increase means its circulation now stands at just over 80,000.
Other significant rises were seen in the popular press, where the News of the World was up 7.8% and the Sunday Mirror 9.3% month on month. Increases were not across the board, however, as the FT and Sport First both saw drops of more than 5%.
| National Newspaper January 2002 ABC Monthly Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Dec 2001 | Jan 2002 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Business, The | 52,949 | 81,716 | 28,767 | 54.3 |
| Daily Express | 937,006 | 991,560 | 54,554 | 5.8 |
| Daily Mail | 2,389,031 | 2,489,264 | 100,233 | 4.2 |
| Daily Record | 581,703 | 584,290 | 2,587 | 0.4 |
| Daily Star | 594,310 | 605,249 | 10,939 | 1.8 |
| Daily Telegraph | 1,005,338 | 1,013,653 | 8,315 | 0.8 |
| Financial Times | 501,259 | 475,475 | -25,784 | -5.1 |
| Guardian | 397,138 | 411,386 | 14,248 | 3.6 |
| Independent | 224,008 | 224,655 | 647 | 0.3 |
| Independent On Sunday | 223,234 | 231,869 | 8,635 | 3.9 |
| Mail On Sunday | 2,286,937 | 2,342,860 | 55,923 | 2.4 |
| Mirror | 2,075,779 | 2,164,576 | 88,797 | 4.3 |
| News Of The World | 3,789,916 | 4,086,621 | 296,705 | 7.8 |
| Observer | 439,388 | 449,806 | 10,418 | 2.4 |
| Racing Post | 77,062 | 73,534 | -3,528 | -4.6 |
| Sport First | 74,117 | 70,184 | -3,933 | -5.3 |
| Sun | 3,307,051 | 3,502,923 | 195,872 | 5.9 |
| Sunday Express | 834,264 | 834,999 | 735 | 0.1 |
| Sunday Mirror | 1,689,072 | 1,845,860 | 156,788 | 9.3 |
| Sunday People | 1,315,950 | 1,389,778 | 73,828 | 5.6 |
| Sunday Sport | 186,838 | 191,674 | 4,836 | 2.6 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 786,370 | 784,069 | -2,301 | -0.3 |
| Sunday Times | 1,342,780 | 1,405,430 | 62,650 | 4.7 |
| Times | 710,309 | 711,295 | 986 | 0.1 |
| Total | 25,821,809 | 26,962,726 | 1,112,150 | 4.4 |
Quality Market
The Quality Market saw a 1.3% increase year on year for the period August-January. Once again, The Business saw the largest increase in percentage terms, of 11.1% but the Observer also did well, adding 6.6% or almost 30,000 copies to reach 472,673. The Independent on Sunday was the only title to see a drop, of 4.4%
| Quality Market Aug 01 – Jan 02 ABC YoY Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Aug 00 – Jan 01 | Aug 01 – Jan 02 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Business, The | 55,603 | 61,753 | 6,150 | 11.1 |
| Daily Telegraph | 1,020,718 | 1,021,851 | 1,133 | 0.1 |
| Financial Times | 474,035 | 480,904 | 6,869 | 1.4 |
| Guardian | 397,585 | 416,066 | 18,481 | 4.6 |
| Independent | 229,863 | 231,083 | 1,220 | 0.5 |
| Independent On Sunday | 249,980 | 238,965 | -11,015 | -4.4 |
| Observer | 443,232 | 472,673 | 29,441 | 6.6 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 804,785 | 812,737 | 7,952 | 1.0 |
| Sunday Times | 1,382,978 | 1,398,220 | 15,242 | 1.1 |
| Times | 721,506 | 721,838 | 332 | 0.0 |
| Total | 5,780,285 | 5,856,090 | 75,805 | 1.3 |
Mid Market
The mid market continued to perform as it has been of late, with the Mail titles gaining steady ground and the Express titles slipping worryingly. The Sunday Express was the more worrying of the two in the August to January period, showing a year on year decrease in circulation of 9.5% to 855,000, while the Daily Express dropped 6.2%. Overall the market saw only a very small increase.
| Mid Market Aug 01 – Jan 02 ABC YoY Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Aug 00 – Jan 01 | Aug 01 – Jan 02 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Express | 1,025,488 | 961,754 | -63,734 | -6.2 |
| Daily Mail | 2,388,884 | 2,480,374 | 91,490 | 3.8 |
| Mail On Sunday | 2,300,336 | 2,371,967 | 71,631 | 3.1 |
| Sunday Express | 945,318 | 855,275 | -90,043 | -9.5 |
| Total | 6,660,026 | 6,669,370 | 9,344 | 0.1 |
Popular Market
The popular market as a whole saw a 2% decrease in circulation in a year on year analysis of the August to January period. Within that there were mixed fortunes, with the Daily Star adding an impressive 12.7% or just under 70,000 to its total and Sport First 7.9%, while the Sunday People, subject of recent speculation about a possible sale by owners Trinity Mirror (see Trinity Denies Sunday People Sale Rumours) dropped 7.8%.
| Popular Market Aug 01 – Jan 02 ABC YoY Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Aug 00 – Jan 01 | Aug 01 – Jan 02 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Record | 613,099 | 595,699 | -17,400 | -2.8 |
| Daily Star | 547,656 | 617,316 | 69,660 | 12.7 |
| Mirror | 2,222,811 | 2,179,236 | -43,575 | -2.0 |
| News Of The World | 4,029,945 | 4,033,812 | 3,867 | 0.1 |
| Racing Post | 73,957 | 76,833 | 2,876 | 3.9 |
| Sport First | 80,678 | 87,023 | 6,345 | 7.9 |
| Sun | 3,614,303 | 3,469,196 | -145,107 | -4.0 |
| Sunday Mirror | 1,888,318 | 1,832,787 | -55,531 | -2.9 |
| Sunday People | 1,496,246 | 1,380,257 | -115,989 | -7.8 |
| Sunday Sport | 200,874 | 202,259 | 1,385 | 0.7 |
| Total | 14,767,887 | 14,474,418 | -293,469 | -2.0 |
Subscribers can access the Press database by selecting “Press” from the drop-down box at the top of this page.