Prince giveaway boosts Mail on Sunday

The Sunday Times suffered a double-digit year-on-year circulation decline last month as it continues to feel the impact of its 20p price increase to £2 last September.

The paper’s circulation plummeted from 1,308,603 to 1,169,017 between July 2006 and July 2007, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) figures.

The recently relaunched Independent on Sunday reported a 0.9% increase from 216,175 to 216,371 but was the only Sunday broadsheet to see a rise.

The Mail on Sunday recorded a 4.43% circulation hike from 2,276,107 to 2,319,788 after it gave away a Prince (pictured) CD with the paper last month.

The Sunday red top market suffered another dismal month with the The People and Sunday Sport hit by double-digit year-on-year declines. The Daily Star Sunday was the only Sunday red top to escape a decline over the period with a circulation increase of 6.46% from 403,824 429,907.

The News of the World’s circulation fell 5.4% from 3,482,856 to 3,294,832 while the Sunday Mirror’s dropped 4.98% from 1,502,414 to 1,427,617.

Across the daily papers, the Mirror suffered the biggest year-on-year circulation decline in England, falling 6.04% from 1,660,151 to 1,559,873.

The FT, which recently relaunched and raised its cover price by 30p, The Daily Mail and the Daily Star were the only papers to see circulation gains over the period.