June newspaper market a damp squib

The wettest June since records began appears to have dampened the majority of the national newspaper market’s circulations, according to the latest ABC figures.

Newspapers

The inclement conditions appeared to have an affect on what was expected to be a bumper month, owing to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Euro 2012 football tournament.

The midmarket was the only sector that marked a slight circulation increase in the period, likely thanks to its heavy coverage of the Jubilee. The circulation of the daily editions of the Mail and Express combined were up 0.52% month on month, while their Sunday titles posted a 1.39% increase.

The tabloid sector, which traditionally circulates more copies around high profile football tournaments, was down 0.74% month on month.

Market leader, The Sun was down 1.08% to 2.58 million copies. The title is down 7.65% year on year.

Its Sunday edition continues to shed readers since its launch in February and is down 2.33% month on month to 2.19 million. News International told Marketing Week in March it had ambitions for the title to maintain a consistent circulation of about 3 million.

Elsewhere, the majority of titles in the quality market also suffered dips in circulation.

The Guardian, which in June restructured its marketing department, was down 1.49% to 211,511. The paper is down 17.75% year on year.

The i newspaper appears to be settling into an average circulation of around 270,000 after a series of month on month increases since its launch last year. The title was down 0.71% to 272,592, but is still up 61.83% year on year.

The Times was the only paper in the quality sector to report a slight month on month circulation increase and was up 1.1% to 400,130. Its Sunday equivalent, however, was down 0.9% to 915,989.

June 2012 national newspaper circulation figures

Source: ABC

Title June Circulation % month on month % year on year
Daily Mirror 1,081,330 0.07 -6.88
Daily Star 602,296 -0.72 -13.56
The Sun 2,583,552 -1.08 -7.65
Daily Express 602,482 0.77 -7.37
Daily Mail 2,542,117 0.44 -5.38
Daily Telegraph 573,674 -0.25 -8.52
Financial Times 297,225 -1.12 -16.74
The Guardian 211,511 -1.49 -17.75
i 272,597 -0.71 61.83
The Independent 90,001 -4.24 -44.62
The Times 400,120 1.10 -11.11
Daily Star Sunday 473,352 -1.44 70.69
The Sun (Sunday) 2,189,924 -2.33 N/A
Sunday Mirror 1,088,499 -0.53 17.81
The People 450,097 -2.65 13.32
Sunday Express 512,843 0.05 -2.40
Mail on Sunday 1,824,393 1.22 -4.18
Independent on Sunday 122.588 -2.22 -18.76
The Observer 243,946 -3.49 -15.49
The Sunday Telegraph 450,276 0.64 -6.68
The Sunday Times 915,969 -0.90 -9.22
       
       

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