Tabloid Launch Boosts Circulation At The Times
News International’s decision to follow in The Independent‘s footsteps with the launch of a tabloid edition of The Times appears to be proving successful. The latest ABC circulation figures for December show that the move helped boost circulation at the paper by 2.3% month on month to 636,331.
The compact version of The Times hit the news-stands at the end of November and was initially intended for commuters in the London metropolitan area. However, News International recently unveiled plans to extend its availability in a move that will take its total print run to over 250,000 (see Times Announces Launch Of Tabloid Edition In London).
Other broadsheets have been considering tabloid launches for some time and the success of The Times looks set to encourage the Daily Telegraph to follow suit with its own scaled-down edition, which is understood to be ready to go to press.
The Independent‘s editor, Simon Kelner, recently claimed that the launch of a rival tabloid-sized broadsheet had not effected sales at his paper. However, the latest ABC results paint a different picture by revealing that The Independent saw circulation dip by 1% during December to 237,816 (see Independent Claims Tabloid Times Has Not Effected Sales).
Elsewhere in the broadsheet sector, the Guardian saw circulation slip by 2.9% month on month to 375,073 and the Observer was down by 8.6% to 443,706. The Business and the Financial Times were the only quality titles to experience any upward movement with respective 5.5% and 3% month on month increases.
The tabloid sector enjoyed little festive cheer during December with News International’s Sun dipping by 3.3%. The Daily Mirror, declined by a less significant 0.3% during the same period and even Richard Desmond’s Daily Star failed to shine with a 3.4% drop in circulation.
The Daily Mail suffered a 2.9% decline in the mid-market, which was overshadowed by a slightly sharper 4.6% fall for the Daily Express. The latter is poised to receive a £5 million boost to its marketing and promotions budget in a move that will see editorial spend at the title cut (see Desmond To Boost Express Promotions Spend By £5 Million).
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Subscribers can access the full ABC National Newspaper Round-Up for December 2003 in the Press reports section on the left