ABC results: publisher reaction

Below are statements about their ABC results from Hearst UK and Bauer Media.

Hearst UK

Hearst UK has announced its 2025 ABC figures, delivering headline growth for the second consecutive year. Actively purchased editions and paid subscriptions rose Year-on-Year (YoY), with paid subscriptions now surpassing one million. This continues a positive trend of building trusted audiences across Hearst UK’s monthly brands, following the release of PAMCo’s 2025 data, which saw Hearst UK’s digital audiences up 15% YoY.

The business recorded a 4% YoY increase across its monthly portfolio, growing competitive market share by 2% YoY. Five brands retained market-leading positions and nine increased circulation.

Additional ABC highlights include:

• Actively purchased editions +6% YoY
• Total paid subscriptions +6% YoY
• Good Housekeeping UK No. 1 Women’s Lifestyle brand
• Men’s Health UK No. 1 Men’s Lifestyle brand
• Women’s Health UK No. 1 Health & Fitness brand
• Runner’s World UK No. 1 Running brand
• Country Living UK No. 1 Home Interest brand

Katie Vanneck-Smith, CEO of Hearst UK, said: “We’re proud to see Hearst UK deliver headline ABC growth across our portfolio for the second consecutive year. Audiences are actively seeking out trusted editorial brands, and that demand is reflected in our paid subscriptions now exceeding one million, enabling us to further scale our membership offering.”

• Cosmopolitan: Headline ABC of 120,102, 0% YoY
• Country Living: Headline ABC of 177,286, 0% YoY
• ELLE: Headline ABC of 83,049, +4% YoY
• ELLE Decoration: Headline ABC of 47,938, -6% YoY
• Good Housekeeping: Headline ABC of 375,271, +1% YoY
• Harper’s Bazaar: Headline ABC of 74,021, +9% YoY
• House Beautiful: Headline ABC of 82,020, +7% YoY
• Men’s Health: Headline ABC of 82,870, +6% YoY
• Prima: Headline ABC of 179,424, +9% YoY
• Red: Headline ABC of 111,306, +6% YoY
• Runner’s World: Headline ABC of 49,852, +1% YoY
• Women’s Health: Headline ABC of 100,601, +10% YoY

Bauer Media

• Bauer Media remains the UK’s biggest-selling magazine publisher with 91.7 million audited copies circulated in 2025
• More than a quarter (27%) of all audited magazine brands in the UK in 2025 were published by Bauer Media
• Many of Bauer’s titles continue to lead the way in their respective competitive markets including - TV Choice, Bella, Take a Break, CAR, MCN, Classic Bike, Today’s Golfer, Bird Watching and Steam Railway.

Bauer Media has once again retained its position as the UK’s biggest-selling consumer magazine publisher with more than 91 million audited copies circulated in 2025.

The annual audited circulation figures (ABC) for Bauer Media Group’s UK Publishing business show that Bauer’s portfolio of brands have continued to perform strongly on newsstands across many categories, while its brands continue to significantly expand and diversify their digital presence.

Commenting on the results, Helen Morris, co-CEO, UK Publishing said: “Once again, our results reaffirm Bauer Media’s position as Britain’s biggest-selling magazine publisher and highlight the strength and relevance of our brands. From TV Choice retaining its long-held position as the nation’s best-selling magazine to the strong growth we’re seeing across digital, these figures reflect the trust millions of consumers continue to place in our content. While changes in reporting have influenced some positive circulation movements, the underlying story is clear: our brands continue to connect, entertain and inspire; and deliver at scale. This success stems from the creativity and commitment of our teams whose ability to craft engaging content across every format remains our greatest strength and, whose work ensures our content remains vital in the lives of our audiences.”

Simon Redlich, chief executive, ABC says: “By including their titles in ABC’s Consumer Report, Bauer Media is giving its clients a trusted, independently audited view of its audience which reflects how they engage with content today, across both print and digital.”

TV Listings

• TV Choice (weekly) remains the UK’s best-selling print magazine with 850,169 copies sold per issue. This exceptional circulation underlines the brand’s phenomenal reach and influence with UK consumers. The brand is also home to the reader-voted TV Choice Awards, a highlight of the showbiz calendar celebrating the best of British television.
• Total TV Guide (weekly) records an ABC of 51,720 average copies circulated each week.

Real Life

• Take a Break (weekly) remains the UK’s best-selling women’s weekly magazine as it delivered an ABC of 228,433.
• Take a Break Monthly posted an ABC of 137,198 copies circulated per issue.
• that’s life! (weekly) remains the second highest circulated title in the Real Life weekly market as it records an ABC of 103,476.

Women’s Weekly Classics

• Bella (weekly) retains its position as leader in the Women’s Weekly Classics market.

Celebrity Weeklies

• Closer (weekly) retains its position as number two in the Celebrity market with an ABC figure of 91,785
• heat (weekly) celebrates circulation growth, recording an ABC figure of 75,911 (+2.3%), and year-on-year digital growth, particularly for Apple News.
• heat is also the only title in the Celebrity market to show growth year-on-year.

Glossies

• Grazia (fortnightly) enjoyed circulation growth with an overall ABC figure of 148,349 (+8.0%).
• The brand celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025 and moved to a perfect bound format with improved paper stock, ensuring its presentation reflects the calibre of its editorial content. The cover price also increased to £4.50.
• The brand continued its commitment to deliver a premium experience to its discerning readers, while creating an enhanced, high-quality environment for advertisers.
• It also continued to deliver on readers’ areas of interest with two editions of its standalone print special edition Grazia Beauty, and the return of a Spring edition of Grazia Casa.
• Its enduring appeal and quality of content was also reflected in growth across its digital channels, which provides a premium environment for its audiences, achieving record monthly results in traffic and content commerce.

Maturity

• Yours (fortnightly) is the only fortnightly lifestyle magazine for women over 50 and enjoyed a total ABC figure increase to 118,225 (+6.2%), and year-on-year growth from digital subscriptions.

Sport

• Today’s Golfer (monthly) maintains its position as the number one golf magazine with an ABC figure up to 43,676 (+7.0%).

Gardening

• Garden Answers (monthly) recorded a total ABC of 50,544 as it continues to flourish as a vibrant and inspiring gardening magazine filled with ingenious design ideas and exciting plant combinations.
• Landscape (monthly) continues to celebrate the best of British countryside throughout the seasons with a total ABC figure of 31,766 (+3.5%).
• Garden News (weekly) continues to be one of Britain’s most trusted voices in gardening, delivering strong growth with a total circulation of 25,053 (+9.0%).

Outdoor and Hobbies

• Bird Watching (monthly) which celebrates turning 40 in 2026 and is Britain’s best-selling birding magazine, recorded an average combined circulation of 19,271 (up 7.9%).

• Steam Railway (monthly) retains its position as the country’s biggest-selling steam news magazine posting an annual ABC of 26,173, (+6.3%).

• Model Rail (monthly) posted an ABC figure of 15,713 (+11.9%) as it continues to be one of Britain’s brightest and most informative magazines for model railway fans.

Motorcycling

• All Bauer’s modern and classic motorcycle titles enjoyed healthy annual circulation increases in 2025.
• MCN (weekly) retains its position as the market leader in the modern motorcycle sector, recording an annual ABC figure of 34,015 (+8.4%) during its 70th anniversary year of being at the heart of the UK motorcycling community.
• Bike (monthly) remains one of the UK’s favourite motorcycling monthly with overall ABC figures of 28,407 (+2.8%).
• RiDE (monthly) delivered an annual ABC figure and impressive increase to 21,090 (+13.2%).
• Classic Bike (monthly) posted an overall ABC figure of 23,112 (+5.8%).

Motoring

• CAR (monthly) has the highest total circulation in the automotive market with a Total ABC of 79,416.
• Classic Car Weekly posted a total circulation of 12,549.
• Classic Cars (monthly) recorded an ABC figure of 35,724 and increase of 10.6%, maintaining its position as the second highest circulated magazine in the Classic Motoring market.
• Practical Classics (monthly) delivered an annual ABC figure of 33,468 (+5.1%) in its 45th anniversary year, as it continues to provide the best hands-on classic car maintenance and restoration experience.

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