Sport First Woos Investors

Sport First, Britain’s first sports-only national paper, which launched nearly a year ago (see Newsline), is rumoured to be looking for investors and possibly a sale.

The Sunday’s managing director, Alison Sparshatt, told Newsline that following the title’s success in the latest ABC figures, they were keen to build on the its success.

Sport First achieved the biggest proportional rise of all the nationals month on month. According to the January ABC figures for the title, its circulation rose by 37.1%, an actual increase of nearly 23,000 sales.

Although Sparshatt confirmed that the paper was in talks with a number of groups, she could not put a name any of them. She did say however, that although Sport First had been in talks with other groups about further investment since its launch in March 1998, talks were now “hotting up”.

Sport First: 0171 490 7575