National Newspaper Round-Up September 2001
The latest figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) show that the national newspaper market as a whole saw a month on month increase of 3% from August to September this year. The events of 11 September led to a general increase in demand.
Sport First saw the most significant increase in terms of percentage with circulation rising 14% month on month. Total circulation for the title, which has recently been included free in Sunday Business as part of a promotion, rose to 97,670. National broadsheets saw circulation increase across the board in month on month analysis. The most notable rise was seen at the Observer, which experienced a 13.7% gain to bring its total circulation to 514,117, an actual increase of 61,786.
Only six titles saw circulation fall month on month. The Racing Post experienced the most significant loss with circulation dropping 6.7% or 5,449 to bring its total circulation down to 75,495. The Sun saw circulation drop by 1% to 3,565,810, an actual loss of 35,600.
| National Newspaper September 2001 ABC Monthly Comparisons | ||||
| Title | Aug 2001 | Sept 2001 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Express | 963,433 | 976,417 | 12,984 | 1.3 |
| Daily Mail | 2,425,827 | 2,586,667 | 160,840 | 6.6 |
| Daily Record | 614,212 | 606,853 | -7,359 | -1.2 |
| Daily Star | 638,629 | 632,438 | -6,191 | -1.0 |
| Daily Telegraph | 1,020,803 | 1,048,001 | 27,198 | 2.7 |
| Financial Times | 467,564 | 481,818 | 14,254 | 3.0 |
| Guardian | 390,041 | 442,454 | 52,413 | 13.4 |
| Independent | 224,178 | 242,793 | 18,615 | 8.3 |
| Independent On Sunday | 231,462 | 247,496 | 16,034 | 6.9 |
| Mail On Sunday | 2,341,971 | 2,454,897 | 112,926 | 4.8 |
| Mirror | 2,225,015 | 2,271,236 | 46,221 | 2.1 |
| News Of The World | 4,114,574 | 4,161,617 | 47,043 | 1.1 |
| Observer | 452,331 | 514,117 | 61,786 | 13.7 |
| Racing Post | 80,944 | 75,495 | -5,449 | -6.7 |
| Sport First | 85,646 | 97,670 | 12,024 | 14.0 |
| Sun | 3,601,410 | 3,565,810 | -35,600 | -1.0 |
| Sunday Business | 55,288 | 60,591 | 5,303 | 9.6 |
| Sunday Express | 876,421 | 905,973 | 29,552 | 3.4 |
| Sunday Mirror | 1,891,164 | 1,922,066 | 30,902 | 1.6 |
| Sunday People | 1,421,564 | 1,412,463 | -9,101 | -0.6 |
| Sunday Sport | 208,825 | 208,331 | -494 | -0.2 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 801,702 | 849,406 | 47,704 | 6.0 |
| Sunday Times | 1,312,771 | 1,458,209 | 145,438 | 11.1 |
| Times | 709,826 | 751,441 | 41,615 | 5.9 |
| Total | 27,155,601 | 27,974,259 | 805,674 | 3.0 |
Quality Market
The Observer saw an 9.2% year on year increase in its circulation during August, taking it to 468,379. At the other end of the scale Sunday Business dropped 7.1% in a year on year analysis, to 56,496.
The worst fall in actual numbers was seen at the Daily Telegraph, which lost 6,066 bringing its total circulation to just over the million mark. This was closely followed by the Times which shed 5,029 from its total circulation year on year.
| Quality Market April 01 – Sept 01 ABC YoY Comparisons | ||||
| Title | April 00 – Sept 00 | April 01 – Sept 01 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Telegraph | 1,029,082 | 1,023,016 | -6,066 | -0.6 |
| Financial Times | 458,658 | 478,715 | 20,057 | 4.4 |
| Guardian | 393,634 | 408,656 | 15,022 | 3.8 |
| Independent | 225,059 | 228,830 | 3,771 | 1.7 |
| Independent On Sunday | 243,917 | 243,477 | -440 | -0.2 |
| Observer | 428,733 | 468,379 | 39,646 | 9.2 |
| Sunday Business | 60,832 | 56,496 | -4,336 | -7.1 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 805,316 | 809,284 | 3,968 | 0.5 |
| Sunday Times | 1,351,354 | 1,375,103 | 23,749 | 1.8 |
| Times | 720,564 | 715,535 | -5,029 | -0.7 |
| Total | 5,717,149 | 5,807,491 | 90,342 | 1.6 |
Mid Market
Year on year analysis of the mid-market reveals that the situation remains relatively unchanged with the Express titles losing ground and the Mail titles gaining ground. The Daily Express saw a 9.4% drop in year on year analysis, which is just under 100,000 in terms of actual numbers. The Daily Mail saw a year on year increase of 3.5% or 83,682.
| Mid Market April 01 – Sept 01 ABC YoY Comparisons | ||||
| Title | April 00 – Sept 00 | April 01 – Sept 01 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Express | 1,062,366 | 962,828 | -99,538 | -9.4 |
| Daily Mail | 2,384,117 | 2,467,799 | 83,682 | 3.5 |
| Mail On Sunday | 2,278,484 | 2,381,408 | 102,924 | 4.5 |
| Sunday Express | 975,664 | 903,125 | -72,539 | -7.4 |
| Total | 6,700,631 | 6,715,160 | 14,529 | 0.2 |
Popular Market
In the popular market Sports First saw the most significant increase in terms of percentage, with circulation climbing 15.8% in year on year analysis. The Daily Star also saw a notable gain with circulation rising 79,506 to 616,603. At the other end of the scale the Sunday People experienced the greatest year on year drop during September, with circulation falling 7.6% or 114,503, to just above the 1.3 million mark.
| Popular Market April 01 – Sept 01 ABC YoY Comparisons | ||||
| Title | April 00 – Sept 00 | April 01 – Sept 01 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Record | 619,349 | 601,567 | -17,782 | -2.9 |
| Daily Star | 537,097 | 616,603 | 79,506 | 14.8 |
| Mirror | 2,279,364 | 2,221,749 | -57,615 | -2.5 |
| News Of The World | 4,018,155 | 4,032,179 | 14,024 | 0.3 |
| Racing Post | 80,423 | 79,853 | -570 | -0.7 |
| Sport First | 67,392 | 78,064 | 10,672 | 15.8 |
| Sun | 3,624,234 | 3,513,685 | -110,549 | -3.1 |
| Sunday Mirror | 1,926,188 | 1,872,433 | -53,755 | -2.8 |
| Sunday People | 1,514,214 | 1,399,711 | -114,503 | -7.6 |
| Sunday Sport | 197,986 | 199,979 | 1,993 | 1.0 |
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