Below are statements about their ABC results from: Bauer Media, The Big Issue, DC Thomson Publishing, Condé Nast, Dennis, Egmont Publishing UK, Gramophone, Haymarket, Hearst Magazines UK, Immediate Media Co, Private Eye, Prospect, Redan, Rock Sound, Shortlist Media, Slimming World, Time Inc UK and The Times Literary Supplement. Also included, at the end, is a statement from Porter magazine, which is BPA audited.
Bauer Media
Highlights This Period:
• Bauer Media consolidates its No.1 position in the TV Listings market
• TV Choice remains the only magazine in the UK to sell over 1 million copies every week
• Bauer Media retains its position as the UK’s No.1 publisher in the True Life market
• Take a Break continues to lead the market as the UK’s No1 women’s weekly
• Garden News has maintained its position as the UK’s No.1 weekly gardening title
• Garden Answers has recorded its seventh consecutive YoY increase of 41.3%, as well as a 23.6% rise PoP
TV LISTINGS
TV Choice (w) - 1,219,097 (print only)
TV Choice, remains the UK’s biggest selling magazine for the 9th successive year and the only UK magazine to consistently sell more than one million copies per issue. TV Choice has both outperformed the market and increased share YOY. With sales in excess of 1.2 million copies per week, TV Choice outsells its nearest rival by well over a quarter of a million. These robust figures are testament to TV Choice’s relevance and ability to engage readers with entertaining content that enhances their love of the nation’s favourite pastime.
TRADITIONAL WOMEN’S WEEKLIES
Take a Break (w) – 542,786 (print only)
Take a Break continues to lead the market as the UK’s No.1weekly, selling more than double its nearest competitor, every week. The magazine’s continued success is underpinned by delivering on and investing in its core editorial pillars of fascinating stories, brilliant puzzles and generous prizes.
That’s Life (w) – 217,358 (print only)
That’s Life continues to engage a younger weekly audience through a combination of inspirational, emotional and incredible true life stories. That’s Life is outperforming the real life market POP and has grown market share POP.
WOMEN’S WEEKLIES
Bella (w) – 165,949 (print only)
Bella delivers a consistent performance, outperforming the market YoY. Bella’s firm belief in editorial value delivers the most entertaining mix of daytime TV, celebrity gossip, fashion, health, beauty and real life stories, week after week. Bella retains its No. 1 position in UK full rate/standalone sales.
FILM
Empire (m) – 123,004 (print + digital)
Currently the world’s biggest movie magazine, Empire continues to innovate, connecting with four million touchpoints globally across its multiple platforms - the magazine, website, social, digital edition, newsletter, podcast and live events. Last year saw it launch the world’s first ever ‘moving’ magazine cover to celebrate the launch of Fantastic Beasts in October.
CELEBRITY WEEKLIES
Closer (w)- 223,342 (print + digital)
Closer has outperformed the celebrity weekly market YOY and has closed the gap on its nearest competitor. Closer has an extremely loyal readership, the strength of the brand continues to lie in its unique mix and depth of content all rooted in a deep understanding of its readers delivered every week.
heat (w)- 136,470 (print + digital)
heat has outperformed the market YOY. The magazine delivered many firsts in this period following its July 2016 relaunch including: a celebrity guest edited issue with Alan Carr; and the launch of its podcast series.
WOMEN’S WEEKLIES: GLOSSY
Grazia (w) – 122,213 (print + digital)
Grazia, with its unique blend of fashion, news, beauty and lifestyle content has outperformed both the celebrity and glossy markets. It sells more copies in a month than all of the other titles in the glossy market. Grazia offers advertisers a unique weekly platform to reach its upscale audience and celebrated its first ever cover-wrap in November by working with premium retailer COACH to hand-distribute 100,000 copies of the magazine across London.
MUSIC PORTFOLIO
MOJO (m) – 67,518 (print + digital). The iconic music monthly remains the biggest paid-for title in the music market both in the UK and overseas, increasing market share YOY. MOJO continues to deliver a monthly curation of world class journalism and photography appealing to an audience of passionate music consumers.
Q (m) – 40,003 (print + digital) Q’s unrivalled access to the biggest names brings music’s most exciting characters to life. Through its monthly print and digital magazine it offers a multi-platform delivery which sees Q’s digital edition record an impressive 7.5% growth YOY. As well as running exclusive cover stories with Liam Gallagher, Radiohead and The 1975, the magazine recently hosted its annual awards celebrating its 30th year attended by rock and pop luminaries Blondie, Ray Davies, U2, Meatloaf, Muse and MIA.
Kerrang! (w) – 18,462 (print + digital)
Kerrang! sold nearly a million copies in total during the ABC period and continues to deliver to an audience of passionate young alternative music fans across its radio, TV and digital platforms.
MATURITY
Yours (f) – 254,886
2016 saw the relaunch of Yours with a brand new section ‘Your best life now’ and investment in sampling and brand awareness. This activity has resulted in Yours continuing to outperform the market both PoP and YoY. The product remains useful, trusted, celebratory and caring, resulting in a very loyal 50+ following.
GARDENING
Garden Answers (m) – 27,957
Garden Answers was the fastest growing UK consumer magazine YoY and recorded its seventh consecutive YoY increase of 41% YoY, as well as a 23.6% rise PoP. A dual rise in this period is unusual in this very seasonal market. Garden Answers grew newsstand sales YoY driven by a clever tactical marketing plan and a fantastically targeted editorial product.
Modern Gardens (m) – 29,074
Bauer Media successfully launched Modern Gardens into the market in the Spring of 2016. This new innovation bought ‘outdoor living’ to the very traditional gardening sector and drew new readers – growing the whole category YoY.
Garden News (m) – 35,251
Garden News has maintained its position as the UK’s No.1 weekly gardening title. The product continues to focus on delivering great advice and inspiration for the most passionate gardeners in the UK.
MOTORING
CAR (m) 47,567 (print + digital)
CAR magazine has achieved a combined ABC increase of 9.0% YoY. CAR puts readers in the driver’s seat of the most exotic and exciting cars on the planet first; packed with insight and opinion CAR delivers the latest car news, brings fascinating technology to life and is first with new model launches. CAR has grown sales of both print and digital editions, and has jumped position within the market.
HOBBIES
Country Walking (m) - 25,074
Country Walking has shown an ABC growth of 6.7% YoY. A brand new look in 2016, and the launch of the hugely successful #walk1000miles consumer engagement campaign, has seen the title go from strength to strength as it engages with more readers, sharing their passion for walking and inspiring them to get out there and explore the beauty of the UK countryside.
Commenting on the results Rob Munro-Hall, Group Managing Director, Bauer Magazine Media UK said: “Bauer Media has once again strengthened its position in the market as the UK’s No. 1 publisher by continuing to innovate and launch. We have seen our biggest titles extend their lead in competitive and challenging marketplaces. We have launched new magazines that have established themselves as products that both readers and advertisers want. We’ve also continued to build out our successful brands across multiple platforms extending their reach and relevance to their audiences.”
The Big Issue
Big Issue magazine reports circulation increase for second consecutive year
The Big Issue, the magazine sold on the streets by people affected by poverty, has reported an increase in the number of copies sold for the second year in a row.
The latest figure, released today by the Audited Bureau of Circulation (ABC), covers the period from January-December 2016, and places the title’s current weekly circulation at 82,294 copies. This represents a 5% increase on the previous year, and marks the second consecutive year of growth in the magazines sales. The increase also means Big Issue vendors earned a total of £266,000 more during 2016 than during the prior year.
The magazine’s achievement comes in stark contrast to the fortunes of many publishing businesses, with sales of magazines in the UK falling by an average of 5.3% in the first half of 2016, and sales of seven of the UK’s leading national newspapers falling by an average of 10% during 2016.
The Big Issue’s Editor, Paul McNamee, attributes the magazine’s success to its continued relevance and evolution. “As an organisation The Big Issue tackles poverty and homelessness in unique and fresh ways. On the pages of the magazine, we look to do the same. To be a voice for outsiders, for those who sometimes feel society has them behind. To have wit and an attitude that feels part of the national consciousness but challenging orthodoxy and received wisdoms.
“Now, 25 years in, it’s heartening that this sales growth shows our continued importance to and also that we produce something for vendors to sell so they can make a living and pull themselves back up. That is what we are here for. “
Launched as a business solution to a social problem, sales of the magazine are also seen to provide a barometer for levels of deprivation. Indeed according to official figures, the number of people rough sleeping in England has risen for the sixth consecutive year, and increased 16% year on year in 2016. This reflects The Big Issue’s experience, where in London alone the organisation has reported a 20% year on year increase in inductions of new vendors over the latter half of 2016.
Russell Blackman, The Big Issue’s Managing Director of Publishing & Business Development said: “The latest ABC figure is testament to the hard-work of our talented and award-winning editorial team who produce a great read, week in, week out. However it’s also reflective of the difficulties and challenges that befall an increasing number in our society. The Big Issue is here to meet that need, both by providing anyone who needs it with the opportunity to earn an income, and also by using our distinctive editorial voice and campaigning agenda to push for positive change.”
DC Thomson Publishing
DC Thomson titles, the Beano, 110% Gaming, No.1 and The Scots Magazine are celebrating year-on-year growth
Weekly comic, the Beano, has reported sales of 34,778, its second consecutive year-on-year ABC increase. The period January to December 2016 has seen a 3.2% increase on 2015.
Mike Watson, General Manager of DC Thomson Publishing, said, “We’re delighted with these results. This ABC figure shows a substantial increase in sales, particularly through subscriptions which have grown to just under 18,000 in the last 12 months.”
Also in the boys’ market, 110% Gaming, a magazine aimed at eight to 12 year-old kids focused on multi-platform gaming and entertainment, has seen a year-on-year increase of 8.1%. Sales have increased to 26,139 – a strong performance in the boys’ market.
My Weekly is up 1.5% period-on-period with recorded sales of 101,835. The title continues to outperform the mature woman’s market.
Regional Scottish titles No.1 and The Scots Magazine have also recorded strong figures.
In the first full period of DC Thomson’s ownership, No.1 magazine has seen an increase in sales to 15,449. This is a year-on-year increase of 3.6%. Editor, Nadine Hawkins, said, “I’m delighted with this result. We’ve introduced new features for our readers including ‘Humble Abode’, a monthly feature that enhances our interiors offering, and bringing in Jackie Bird as our new star columnist.”
The Scots Magazine has also continued to deliver a solid performance in a challenged market, recording an average issue sale of 24,349, up 0.1% year-on-year. The title won two awards at the PPA Scottish Magazine Awards. Robert Wight was named Consumer Magazine Editor of the Year, and the magazine also won the award for Online Presence (scotsmagazine.com).
General Manager, Mike Watson, concluded, “In our magazine business we’ve driven circulation through new launches of both licensed titles and our own IP. 110% Gaming’s recorded 8.1% growth is a great example of how successful new launches can be, even in the competitive children’s market. This, alongside continued success of existing titles such as My Weekly and the Beano, show the strength of our magazine stable.
“We’ll continue to see significant new launches and will look to add to our portfolio where we can, both through our own and external IP.”
In Spring 2017 DC Thomson Publishing is returning to its Meadowside headquarters in Dundee after an extensive renovation.
Condé Nast
Condé Nast Britain today releases its latest set of ABC figures combining print and digital sales for the period July to December 2016.
Vogue
Vogue posts a new ABC of 195,083, level period on period and year on year, and UK subscriptions are up 2.3% period on period. This figure coincides with the second half of the centenary year of the fashion bible, which also saw a BBC2 British Vogue documentary, book publications, a pop-up Vogue Café, and award wins including a Special Recognition at the BFC Fashion Awards and the BSME Innovation / Brand Building Initiative for the NPG ‘Vogue 100: A Century Of Style’ exhibition.
House & Garden
House & Garden announces a new ABC of 113,049, level year on year, with UK subscriptions growing by 1.7% period on period. The pre-eminent quality media brand for design and decoration continues its very successful events programmes including a new iteration for 2017, The House & Garden Festival, while its digital platform has 900,114 unique users.
Brides
The UK’s number one bridal media brand, Brides has an ABC of 40,058, with total subscriptions up by 15.2% year on year. Reaching readers via multiple touchpoints, including Brides The Show, and with an ever-increasing digital audience via the website and social media, Brides is the authority on all things wedding related.
Tatler
Tatler unveils a new ABC of 82,508, with total print edition newsstand sales up 1% year on year. In addition to its precisely targeted upscale magazine circulation Tatler has multiple touchpoints for its audience to engage with the brand including digital, social and events.
The World Of Interiors
The World of Interiors is the go-to source for design professionals and style arbiters. Posting a new ABC of 57,067, this is an increase of 1.7% year on year in UK actively purchased copies, and UK single copy sales are up 5.3%.
GQ
GQ announces an ABC of 115,521 discerning affluent readers, with total print subscriptions rising by 1.8% year on year. GQ remains the market leader, producing fashion and lifestyle content across multiple platforms, and is the recipient of 64 major awards for print, digital and video.
Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair, the biography of our age, has a new ABC of 76,090. A cultural catalyst, the brand is also growing its reach digitally, including via Hive, a new site section where Wall Street, Washington and Silicon Valley meet.
Condé Nast Traveller
With an ABC of 78, 014, Condé Nast Traveller posts a rise of 4.4% year on year and 4.2% period on period in UK actively purchased copies. Condé Nast Traveller is the leading British luxury travel publication, and the world’s most discerning travel media brand.
Glamour
Glamour announces an ABC of 260,422. The new year is off to a strong start, with a strategic shift in recognition of readers’ evolving lives, enhancing the ways in which the brand continues to engage with its growing audience. Together with a change in size of the print edition comes a step-change in editorial strategy, defined by and crafted for the platform the content appears on, as well as a new mobile first website reaching 2,588,131 unique users, including a dedicated Glamour video channel.
Wired
Wired posts an ABC of 53,020, an increase of 8.6% in single copy sales year on year. The Wired.co.uk online readership of 2,026,656 unique users together with social, Wired Events and the Consulting business influences a significant audience of thought-leaders.
The ‘#Love Me 17’ issue of bi-annual LOVE has just been published, and continues to redefine the edgy high-end sector. Britain’s essential male style bible GQ Style will publish the S/S ’17 issue in March. The digital only brand Ars Technica UK, reaches 658,347 unique users, delivering tech news with real impact.
Nicholas Coleridge, Managing Director of Condé Nast Britain, comments: "For the sixth period in succession, we see the luxury print sector holding pleasingly steady, at a time when our digital audience is growing exponentially.”
Dennis
The Week celebrates 37th consecutive ABC increase
• The Week secures its position as highest subscription news weekly title with over 148,000 single copy subscriptions
• Performance car title EVO jumps an impressive 7.2% YOY to 43,119
Dennis today reports another strong ABC performance for its flagship current affairs brand The Week and a comparatively stable ABC across its portfolio of titles despite the challenging market conditions.
The Week continues to grow with an increase of 1.8% YOY to 243,015
Current Affairs title The Week reports strong ABC increase of 0.4% POP and 1.8% YOY whilst consolidating its position as highest subscription news weekly title in the UK, with 140,319 paid-for UK subscribers and 148,842 UK & Overseas.
This ABC increase further cements The Week as one of the fastest growing premium magazine brands in the market which continues to go from strength to strength.
EVO reports significant increase of 7.2% to 43,119
Dennis’ performance car title has seen a stellar performance with an increase of almost 3,000 copies YOY.
The overall Dennis portfolio has seen a combined decrease in circulation of 4.10%, which remains comparatively stable against the rest of the market. Despite extremely challenging newsstand conditions, Dennis has retained a strong position within its four core specialism areas: Current Affairs, Technology, Lifestyle and Motoring.
Magazine ABC Jan-Dec 2016:
Egmont Publishing UK
Egmont Publishing celebrates strong ABC performance
• Impressive debut figures for new launches, PAW Patrol (49,024) and Finding Dory (33,002)
• We Love Pop up 10.2% period on period
• Thomas & Friends up 2.3% period on period
• LEGO Star Wars up 25.7% year on year
• Disney Frozen remains the number 1 children’s magazine title
Egmont Publishing UK is celebrating the success of their new magazine titles PAW Patrol and Finding Dory in the latest published ABC’s, released today. Both titles launched in the summer and continue to make their mark in the children’s sector.
Laura Adnitt, Publishing Director, said: ‘We are delighted with the success of PAW Patrol magazine. Standing out in the fiercely competitive pre-school sector is a challenge, but PAW Patrol has made it look easy. The magazine deepens the engagement with the brand for young fans, allowing them to connect with their favourite pawsome pals through entertaining interactive content and on brand covermounts.”
As well as new titles, LEGO Star Wars continues its strong performance with 25.7% year on year growth, and Disney Frozen continues to have the highest ABC figure in the children’s market at 82,009.
Egmont’s evergreen title, Thomas & Friends continues to delight Thomas fans and maintain its prominence in the pre-school sector, and We Love Pop has cemented its position in the teen market with positive period-on-period growth.
Cally Poplak, Managing Director of Egmont Publishing UK said: “Egmont is the Number 1 Children’s Magazine publisher thanks to an outstanding portfolio of magazines like Disney Frozen, LEGO Star Wars and Toxic. We know from our research that parents value the physicality and the package printed magazines offer – they appreciate how they offer time away from screens and enable them to spend time doing activities and reading with their children.”
Gramophone
Gramophone’s digital edition is now the UK’s leading digital music magazine
In an increasingly challenging marketplace for print magazines, classical music title Gramophone has led the way in attracting digital subscribers, helping it grow its overall circulation by 10 per cent in the past year.
After seeing digital subscriptions in 2016 increase by 94% to 6890, Gramophone now has almost twice as many digital sales as the second-highest selling digital music magazine, Q magazine, according to the ABC’s latest report on consumer magazines.
“We’ve always believed that our most powerful selling point is our world-leading writing, whether reviews or features – however people choose to read it,” says Gramophone’s Editor and Publisher Martin Cullingford.
For the last few years, Gramophone has given subscribers the choice between the printed magazine, or a digital magazine option which also includes access to Gramophone’s entire archive dating back to 1923. Readers have also been invited to join the Gramophone Club – a premium package which includes the magazine, the archive, plus access to the Gramophone reviews database.
Gramophone’s digital version is now the 25th highest-selling digital consumer magazine in the UK, again according to the ABC’s report.
“Our success proves that people are prepared to pay for expertly written, carefully prepared and beautifully presented magazines in a digital form. To have achieved this in what is a specialist sector of the music market is a source of additional satisfaction.”
Gramophone’s total ABC circulation figure – including both print and digital copies – now stands at 23,162.
Haymarket
FS retains +100,000 circulation and digital sales grow as Haymarket Media Group announces latest ABCs
Haymarket Media Group today announces highlights from its latest ABC results for January - December 2016, with its consumer portfolio continuing to extend engagement with specialist audiences.
FS has retained its ABC of +100,000, representing growth of 38% circulation since its launch in 2014. The award-winning brand continues to outstrip its closest rivals, GQ and Men’s Health, in terms of per cent of actively-purchased copies and remains the most successful actively-purchased men’s title launch in the last decade. Last year FS rebranded from ‘Forever Sports’ to move firmly into the men’s lifestyle sector and struck a distribution partnership with Flannels (luxury fashion designer retailer) to sell FS in outlets UK-wide, boosting circulation to a premium fashion-led audience further.
Haymarket’s Classic & Sports Car remains the best-selling classic car magazine in the world, as well as the UK’s second best-selling motoring monthly (ABC 62,899). Despite a small fall of 6.6% in line with the category trend, Classic & Sports Car continues to make huge strides growing its digital audiences across web and social channels. The brand has recorded significant growth on its website, plus an increased crowd of 15,500 people flocking to Alexandra Palace for the annual Classic & Sports Car’s London show that launched in 2015.
What Car? has maintained its position as the UK’s leading and most trusted brand for new car buyers seeking reviews, advice and data. Whilst recording a decline in UK newsstand sales, this is in line with the general motoring category and in light of last year’s aggressive digital growth strategy. What Car? has been focused on growing loyal, engaged audiences with an new website build and the launch of the new car buyer marketplace. With a circulation of 56,177, combined with its web, mobile and social reach, What Car? has over 2.5 million monthly points of contact with its audience on the move, at work, at home and at the crucial points in car buying. Sister brand Autocar has seen a 20% increase in digital editions and continues to focus on growing its global web audiences.
Haymarket’s FourFourTwo remains the UK’s best selling adult football magazine. The website has seen a 109% uplift in global audiences, with significant growth in the UK, Southeast Asia and the USA. Despite a 3% decline in UK print sales, FourFourTwo experienced success on the newsstand for both its Euro 16 and flagship Season Preview issues. A targeted video strategy with the new FourFourTwo Films has led to a subscriber base of 80,000 on YouTube, now approaching 1 million monthly video views. The brand has also recently celebrated a landmark 1 million Facebook likes and has reached 450k followers on Twitter.
Leisure titles saw Practical Motorhome bucking the market trend by posting an increased ABC of 12,621 (+4.1% YoY). Sister brand Practical Caravan retains its position as the UK’s best-selling caravan magazine, with annual circulation of 21,424. Both titles’ reach has been boosted by Practical Caravan TV and Practical Motorhome TV, with peak viewing figures in excess of 300,000 across the two shows (BARB-rated).
Haymarket’s consumer electronic titles, Stuff and What Hi-Fi?, remain the top places to reach deeply engaged tech buyers and enthusiasts. Stuff is the leading actively-purchased title in the technology sector (ABC 56,183), slowing sales declines YoY and increasing engaged online and social audiences. What Hi-Fi? celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2016 with a solid circulation performance and an 18% uplift in digital editions. What Hi-Fi? has also focused on diversifying its revenues and building its retailer offer online. The brand has also had huge success in increasing social traffic by 118% YoY.
Kevin Costello, CEO, Haymarket Media Group, commented: “Our latest ABCs prove the enduring strength of Haymarket’s consumer portfolio and how our titles continue to attract engaged, valuable and specialist audiences.
“Whilst it’s been a challenging year for any brand reliant on traditional print revenues, our consumer brands have tackled these challenges by diversifying not just into digital but events and retail. The launch of the What Car? new car product, Classic & Sports Car’s show and the success of What Hi-Fi?’s retail platform are great examples of our brands continuing to reach audiences in more creative ways.
“In this financial year, digital will overtake print as our single largest source of revenue and we will continue to capitalise on our highly-engaged, specialist audiences.”
Hearst Magazines
Monthlies success with 10 out of 13 year-on-year increases
Hearst Magazines UK has released its latest set of ABC figures for the period Jul-Dec 2016. The results show impressive growth for its monthly brands with 10 out of 13 reporting year-on-year increases.
Good Housekeeping retains its position as Britain’s biggest-selling women’s lifestyle magazine with a combined ABC of 454,697, up 11% year-on-year and recording the title’s highest circulation for over nine years. The Good Housekeeping brand continues to thrive across its digital platforms, portfolio of licensed products and the Good Housekeeping Institute, its purpose-built testing facility, cookery school and consumer venue.
Cosmopolitan maintains its position as the highest circulating young women’s glossy with a combined ABC of 407,622, up 1% year-on-year. The brand continues to reap the benefits of Hearst’s dynamic distribution strategy, which puts the magazine directly into the hands of its audience through a tightly targeted mix of channels.
Cosmopolitan’s ‘pick-up’ and ‘pop-up’ strategy means that as well as on the newsstand and via subscription, the magazine is also distributed direct to its audience via events, music festivals and movie screenings, as well as at shopping centres, universities and at airport departure gates for selected flights.
Women’s Health has recorded its ninth successive ABC increase since launch, up 4% year-on-year posting a combined ABC of 130,819. Esquire posts a second consecutive combined ABC increase of 65,091, up 11% year-on-year. While Men’s Health retains its position as the highest-selling paid-for men’s lifestyle title with a combined ABC of 182,026.
ELLE delivers a 2% year-on-year increase with a combined ABC of 168,741, and Harper’s Bazaar posts a combined ABC of 111,020, up 1% year-on-year. Both brands have also benefited from Hearst’s dynamic distribution strategy; ELLE via fashion and beauty partnerships with brands including Lookfantastic.com and Space NK, and Harper’s Bazaar through partnerships with prestigious cultural organisations such as the V&A, the Royal Academy of Arts and the Victoria Miro Gallery, as well as event partners including Frieze Art Fair, Canary Wharf Weekend Treat, Masterpiece London and Historic Royal Palaces.
Hearst has also seen impressive growth in its home interest brands with Country Living posting a combined ABC of 188,915, up 12% year-on-year and retaining its market leader position. ELLE Decoration sees a combined ABC of 73,757, up 10% year-on-year, and House Beautiful has a combined ABC of 117,700, up 9% year-on-year.
Anna Jones, CEO of Hearst Magazines UK, says: “Once again Hearst has delivered an exceptional set of ABC results, and I am pleased that we have the market leader in all of our monthly magazine competitive sectors. Seeing year-on-year growth from many of our key brands, at a time when we continue to grow across multiple platforms, is hugely encouraging.
“These results also show that our dynamic approach to distribution continues to yield impressive results. Targeting consumers in the places we know they are spending their time has been invaluable in building a highly engaged audience.”
Full ABC results for Hearst Magazines UK are listed below:
HEARST UK MONTHLY BRANDS
Cosmopolitan: Total combined ABC of 407,622, +1% yoy, -1% pop
Country Living: Total combined ABC of 188,915, +12% yoy, +4% pop
ELLE: Total combined ABC of 168,741, +2% yoy, -2% pop
ELLE Decoration: Total combined ABC of 73,757, +10% yoy, +6% pop
Esquire: Total combined ABC of 65,091, +11% yoy, +1% pop
Good Housekeeping: Total combined ABC of 454,697, +11% yoy, +2% pop
Harper’s Bazaar: Total combined ABC of 111,020, +1% yoy, 0% pop
House Beautiful: Total combined ABC of 117,700, +9% yoy, +2% pop
Men’s Health: Total combined ABC of 182,026, -7% yoy, +1% pop
Prima: Total combined ABC of 258,607, +2% yoy, 0% pop
Red: Total combined ABC of 183,995, -1% yoy, -5% pop
Runner’s World: Total combined ABC of 78,496, 0% yoy,
Women’s Health: Total combined ABC of 130,819, +4% yoy, +2% pop
HEARST UK WEEKLY BRANDS
Best: Total combined ABC of 139,635, -15% yoy, -2% pop
Inside Soap: Total combined ABC of 102,953, -12% yoy, -2% pop
Real People: Total combined ABC of 140,217, -10% yoy, -1% pop
Reveal: Total combined ABC of 111,807, -9% yoy, -2% pop
HEARST MADE
Asda Good Living: Total combined ABC of 1,840,333, -7% pop, -10% yoy
Jamie: Total combined ABC of 47,445, +5% pop, -10% yoy
Immediate Media Co
Immediate Media Co’s strong performance continues with consecutive year of ABC growth
Immediate Media Co, the special interest content and platform company, has posted a combined print and digital circulation of 2,249,592, up 0.6% year-on-year. The results mark a consecutive year-on-year ABC growth, while the company has also seen growth in Retail Sales Value, up 2.4% to £123.26m year-on-year.
• Immediate’s ABC-audited print circulation is 2,187,710 – up 0.2% year-on-year, and up 28.8% period-on-period.
• Immediate’s ABC-audited digital circulation also continues to rise, reporting a total circulation of 61,882, up 15.2% year-on-year.
• With a total audience of 1.3 million subscribers, the company remains the leading magazine publishing company for subscriptions.
Tom Bureau, CEO of Immediate Media Co, says: “Immediate is enjoying growth across all its major platforms, and – as these results show – our magazines continue to perform exceptionally well. Our world-class content teams are creating premium magazine brands which are inspiring the passions of millions of super-engaged consumers every month. And the strength of our subscriptions business underlines the value of the long-term relationships we forge with consumers.
"Our absolute focus on underpinning award-winning content with a fully integrated technology infrastructure allows us to develop and deliver innovative products and services to our growing customers base. From sector-leading online marketplaces like hitched, to engrossing live experiences like the upcoming BFI & Radio Times Television Festival, to our newly launched TV shopping channel Sewing Quarter: we’re creating richer ways to engage our customers.”
Highlights for the ABC period July-December 2016:
• Radio Times remains the UK’s biggest-selling quality magazine. With a weekly combined ABC of 684,922, it retains its position as the most valuable brand on the UK newsstand. Radio Times is also the UK’s biggest weekly subscription brand, with 268,506 subscribers, a 5% year-on-year increase as almost 40% of readers now choose to commit to a long term relationship with the brand. RadioTimes.com continues to attract new readers to the brand, with a record-breaking 11.6 million unique visitors in January, up 44% year-on-year.
• BBC History Magazine recorded an incredible 21st consecutive ABC rise, selling 97,550 copies per month. This includes 81,081 in print, with 16,469 digital copies as it becomes the 4th largest UK digital edition by audited circulation. The brand goes from strength-to-strength: last year BBC History Magazine hosted two History Weekend festivals in Winchester and York, their biggest live events to date.
• Immediate is once again the number one publisher in the overall Children’s market, with a gravity-defying performance reflecting the strength of its titles and breadth of portfolio. It posts a combined ABC circulation of 782,214. The pre-school and pre-teen market continues its extraordinary growth with pre-school up 6.6% year-on-year and the pre-teen market up 30.9% year-on-year.
• Top Of The Pops reports an ABC figure of 50,218, its highest circulation figure in three years and a 15.1% increase year-on-year and 14.3% period-on-period. Girl Talk continues its extraordinary growth, up 12.8% year-on-year to 40,230 copies each month. Sister title Girl Talk Art is showing the fastest growth in the entire Youth and Children portfolio with an increase of 21.6% year-on-year to 32,469 a month. It has also been a successful ABC for the LEGO titles, with Nexo Knights posting an ABC of 53,137 up 4.2% period-on-period and Lego Ninjago up 16.7% year-on-year to an ABC figure of 74,887.
Private Eye
250,204 - Brexcellent!
Private Eye, the UK’s bestselling news and current affairs title, today announced its highest ever ABC figures. And not in the Trump sense. They really are. Bigly.
Reporting a record ABC of 250,204 for the 6 months ending 31st December 2016, a period that celebrated Ian Hislop’s 30th anniversary as editor, coverage of the Brexit referendum and the magazine’s highest ever sale of
287,334 for the 2016 Christmas issue.
Commenting on the highest ABC figure since records began, editor Ian Hislop said: “More people buy Private Eye than attended Trump’s inauguration. Fact. Possibly.”
He added “Can I have a knighthood please?”
Prospect
Prospect proves there's still a place for experts
"People in this country have had enough of experts" proclaimed Michael Gove in the run-up to last year's EU Referendum.
Well, it seems that doesn't go for everyone, Michael. Because—according to numbers released by the independent Audit Bureau of Circulations today—more people in the UK and throughout the world are reading Prospect than ever before.
In the frenzied news year that was 2016, Prospect managed to stay ahead of the rest. We highlighted the importance of Article 50 before it became everyone's special subject. And Sam Tanenhaus's dispatches from the US were the most comprehensive account of the rise of "The Donald."
In a world of fake news and alternative facts, Prospect's new circulation figure of 32,697 proves that there has never been a greater need for a clear-eyed, cool and intelligent take on where on earth the world is headed.
This figure represents a fifth successive circulation increase and a third successive record figure with growth once again underpinned by strong subscription performance.
The total subscription increase in the last six months was 3.7 per cent (a fifth successive subscription increase, with an uplift in both print and digital subscriptions). Sales of Prospect on the newsstand also increased by 4.3 per cent.
Tom Clark, Editor, said "These figures indicate another strong year for Prospect. We now look ahead—perhaps with anxiety—to a year which will be dominated by potentially fraught negotiations with our former European partners, unpredictable elections in France and Holland, and who knows what wild lurches from Donald Trump. Everyone wants to be ahead of the news in times like these, but it is Prospect readers who can be sure that they will be so."
Redan
Redan Publishing Ltd are celebrating as Peppa Pig Bag-O-Fun Magazine records it’s highest ever ABC result at 83,057 an 18% increase in circulation from this time last year. The monthly bagged offering which includes extra gifts is clearly a format that works for the ever green pre-school brand.
In an increasingly competitive market the pre-school specialist’s other titles also turned in strong performances, with compilation title Fun To Learn Favourites seeing a year on year increase of 22% to 38,166K and Sparkle World retaining its place as number one multi-character title for primary girls with an ABC of 46,322.
Rock Sound
Rock Sound announces fourth consecutive ABC increase
The independently owned rock title sees its combined print and digital issue ABC increase to 14,057, for a remarkable fourth increase in a row. The title’s website has also continued to show strong growth with over 7.5 million visitors in 2016, an increase of over 200% compared to 4 years ago.
Comments Owner / Publisher Patrick Napier: “I’m delighted to be able to record another increase despite a tough environment thanks to some blockbuster issues and the opening up of new sales channels. We're fortunate to serve a truly passionate audience and the future is exciting as we grow our brand and develop new ways of reaching an increasingly global market."
To that end Rock Sound also welcomes the return of Ryan Bird, who becomes Editorial Director from March 1st. His creative vision has been vital to Rock Sound’s success over the last 4 years and his new role will be to oversee the Rock Sound brand and to inspire and lead the continuous development of content across all platforms and formats. This expansion of the team follows the recent appointment of Tamsyn Wilce as Social Media Executive as Rock Sound continues to invest and evolve to keep moving forward.
Shortlist Media
• ShortList’s new ABC of 504,740 represents 58.2% of the total men’s lifestyle sector
• Stylist’s new ABC of 403,876 gives it 24% of the total women’s lifestyle sector
ShortList announces a new ABC of 504,740 for the period July to December 2016. This is a positive variance of 0.5% year on year. Stylist reports a July to December 2016 ABC of 403,876, which represents no change on the same period last year. These new figures reflect continued growth of market share for both of the UK’s leading freemium print brands.
The new ABC result means that ShortList magazine remains, once again, number one in its sector capturing 58.2% of the men’s market and the most powerful way of reaching professional, urban men every week. A market share of 24% for Stylist reinforces the magazine’s brand strength in the upmarket women’s sector. This is represented in the tables above. Shortlist Media’s titles are the UK’s only freemium titles to be distributed by hand merchandisers nationwide – in 9 major UK cities – and through a direct network into workplaces, retailers and airport lounges.
Shortlist Media CEO Ella Dolphin says: “The audience demand for ShortList and Stylist is undeniable and is testament to the talent of our editorial and distribution teams. The international footprint will continue to grow in 2017 following the success in France and the Middle East. Emerald Street and Mr Hyde, the unique email brands from the Shortlist stable, consistently deliver nearly 250k daily subscribers, whilst Stylist.co.uk and Shortlist.com are increasingly driven by our audience-tailored video content. Stylist Live has pioneered a new consumer event for Stylist women in London and, through demand, will be increasing in scale with a move to Olympia this November. These powerful brand platforms provide unparalleled access to the Met Set audience – an influential metropolitan consumer group that we understand better than anyone else.”
Slimming World
Another increase for Slimming World magazine as latest ABC figures revealed
New figures revealed this week have seen Slimming World magazine continue its remarkable rise in circulation, with latest data signalling another year of consecutive year-on-year growth.
ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations) figures released yesterday show the magazine has increased its combined print and digital circulation to 645,719 for the July to December 2016 period – an increase of 4.7% year on year.
This latest increase means that Slimming World magazine has now celebrated improved year-on-year sales for an incredible 11 years running. The magazine continues to hold its place as the fourth most actively purchased magazine and the UK’s best-selling glossy magazine.
Sara Ward, who joined the magazine in March 2016, is thrilled that the magazine has continued to make impressive strides. She says: “My first full issue as Editor of Slimming World magazine was August/September, so it’s fantastic that sales have continued to grow throughout this period. It is testament to all the hard work the talented team here at Slimming World magazine has put in to ensure that as many people as possible have a beautiful magazine full of fresh and inspiring content, which supports and motivates hundreds of thousands of people throughout their weight-loss journeys.
“Last year was an incredibly successful one for the magazine, so it’s great to kick off 2017 with some more great news. Last summer we reached our highest ever ABCs, which we have now topped just six months later. Of course, the biggest compliment is knowing that these figures reflect that our readers love the magazine just as much as we do.
“We love hearing that we have helped readers to achieve their weight-loss goals – whether it be thanks to a cover star who really resonated with them, a recipe which inspired new healthy eating habits or a psychological feature that struck a chord. To us, this new milestone means we’re supporting even more people, and that’s a very special feeling.”
Time Inc UK
Time Inc UK brands continue to expand reach
The latest set of ABC results demonstrate that Time Inc. UK’s brands are some of the most actively purchased on the UK newsstand, and continue to deliver revenue for retailers and highly engaged, passionate consumers for advertising partners.
Marcus Rich, CEO Time Inc. UK, says: “Time Inc. UK brands are some of the most-loved and best-selling magazine brands on the UK newsstand and we continue to develop and evolve our print products to fuel our consumers’ passions.
“In 2016 our brands ran over 150 events, directly engaging with more than 300,000 consumers. Digitally we reached more consumers than ever before and last year saw traffic to our sites grow by 8%. Correspondingly, we saw double digit growth in our digital advertising revenue. Our content is available on 14 different platforms and we produced over 2000 pieces of video content across our websites. All this demonstrates the growing and varied reach of Time Inc. UK’s brands.
“We continue to deliver new and exciting opportunities for our commercial partners to engage with our audiences and 2016 saw us deliver innovative campaigns for advertisers including Apple, Google, eBay and VO5. This year we expect our new TV production arm to come to fruition, as well as further expanding our already highly successful retail activity and our portfolio of events.”
ENTERTAINMENT AND TELEVISION
The ongoing transformation of iconic global media brand NME continues to propel the title’s success as it posts a free-distribution ABC of 308, 938 – an uplift of 0.1% on the period and 0.6% on the year. The hand-to-hand distribution drove this growth, with this activity increasing by 0.7 percentage points to 38.8%. NME’s nationwide hand-to-hand distribution continues to be unparalleled in the freemium market, reaching 40 cities at its peak beyond the capital, with no other title achieving this level of activity outside of London. As a whole, the unique nationwide distribution footprint now comprises 733 distribution points, taking in over 120 towns and cities.
As well as retaining music at its core, NME's broadened content inclusive of film, fashion, food and careers chimes perfectly with its broad and affluent ABC1 audience - who have an average age of 32 - that is passionate about more than just music. The content and brand reach is also attracting some of the biggest brands to NME to strike-up exclusive partnerships and advertising revenues are up 10.8% on the year.
In the TV market TVTimes saw its newsstand circulation rise by 2.0% this period and also saw its retail sales value increase by 3.4% year-on-year. This success demonstrates that TVTimes continues to play an important role in the nation’s homes and consumers love and trust the brand week-after-week. What’s on TV continues to deliver a solid performance and saw a 0.1% period-on-period print sales increase. During the period the brand celebrated another successful Christmas issue which was once again the biggest selling Christmas TV title.
WOMEN’S WEEKLIES
Pick Me Up recorded positive period-on-period total print sales growth of 1.9%. The brand consistently delivers a value for money product for consumers, packed full of compelling real-life stories, entertaining puzzles, tips and advice. Woman and Woman’s Own retained their 56% volume share of the sub-sector, demonstrating that the brands continue to drive revenue for retailers in this market. This share is testament to Time Inc. UK’s deep understanding of this audience and market, and the editorial teams’ ability to consistently deliver trusted and engaging products. Once again Woman’s Weekly increased its share of market and its sales represent over half of all sales in the traditional women’s weeklies sub-sector. The brand continues to demonstrate the strength of its relationship with its loyal, engaged audience.
WOMEN’S LIFESTYLE & FASHION
woman&home retained its position as the biggest selling women’s lifestyle title on the UK newsstand, posting a newsstand period-on-period ABC increase of 4%, a record it has held for 18 consecutive periods. woman&home now publishes on 12 platforms reaching over three million UK women each and every month.
Marie Claire unveiled a new-look magazine and revamped website in the period as part of plans to significantly increase its scale and re-affirm its appeal with millennially-minded women. The brand is also harnessing the power of its new Fabled by Marie Claire beauty business to bring tens of thousands of new readers to the magazine during 2017. Fabled by Marie Claire customers, both online and in store, will receive a free copy of Marie Claire with their purchase, in a move that will expose the magazine to a highly targeted audience.
HOME INTEREST
Time Inc. UK’s market-leading homes portfolio has maintained its 50% share of the UK newsstand. This period saw investment in Ideal Home, which maintains its number one position on the UK newsstand. With a fresh new look and feel introduced in September, the magazine launched idealhome.co.uk in December and is now sharing its near 100 years of know-how and advice with almost six million people across its online and social channels. Meanwhile, the portfolio continues to come alive through events, with Livingetc holding its popular House Tours in September and Country Homes & Interiors launching its first consumer event, Country Homes & Interiors Christmas, in December. The portfolio is set to expand into further consumer events in 2017.
CYCLING
Cycling Weekly - which celebrated its 125th year in 2016 - proved its continuing relevance and boasted the strongest performance in the cycling market, reporting a 0.7% combined print and digital year-on-year ABC rise to 24,631, outperforming the road cycling market. Cycling Weekly is now a true 360-degree brand, comprising market-leading sportive events and fast growing video and digital content. In 2016 the brand produced engaging video content - including 360-degree videos and Facebook Live - and saw double digit growth for online traffic and on-site video views.
SPECIAL INTEREST
Country Life, the quintessential English magazine, has delivered a trend-bucking performance with an annual ABC increase for the seventh time in a row. Reporting a combined ABC of 40,047, Country Life has delivered a 2% increase on the year. Country Life hit TV screens last year in a three-part BBC documentary series which gave a behind-the-scenes look at the title and the widely varied world it covers. The brand also produced a number of particularly strong-selling issues including The Queen’s 90th Birthday issue, which was up 23% year-on-year, and the Christmas special, which generated the highest revenue of any issue in the brand’s history.
The Times Literary Supplement
Strong growth for The Times Literary Supplement in latest magazine ABCs
• The title has increased annual retail sales by 15.8%.
• Total circulation up 27.6% to 32,166
• Annual print circulation increased 17.2% to 29,557
• Dedicated focus on digital growth and social engagement shows sharp growth
The TLS, the leading international weekly for literary culture, has created a marked increase in the six monthly magazine statistics from the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), recording its highest sale for 6 years.
In the period, it has grown across all platforms, but its print growth is particularly notable, which can be attributed to an increased focus in cover stories and images, and improved retail distribution.
Digitally, it has grown website traffic by 500% in the last 6 months, by commissioning free digital-only material, while improving the experience for its paid-for content. Social engagement has grown by 1000% in the same time.
The TLS now has a widely read newsletter, and a weekly podcast (hosted by Stig Abell and Thea Lenarduzzi), which has doubled its audience sine September and has featured in the Guardian's top ten literary podcasts.
Editor Stig Abell commented: "In an era of clickbait, fake news and championed anti-expertise, the TLS is proud to be part of a new counter-culture that values breadth and depth, great writing and long-form journalism.
I strongly believe that more and more readers will turn to carefully-produced, challenging articles on a wide range of subjects, as something of an antidote to the prevailing madness that seems to surround us. The TLS is part of a growth industry of intelligent, subscription-based magazines."
Porter
(Porter is BPA audited)
The Net-A-Porter Group is delighted to announce the release of Porter’s second official audit showing a circulation of 180,646 – an impressive growth of 6% year on year.
In the rapidly changing magazine market Porter’s performance is even more remarkable – demonstrating its continued relevance and unique appeal.
A strong overall circulation figure is a result of a clear strategy of building a loyal base of High Net Worth women (total subscriptions grew +30% YOY) who continue to respond well to Porter’s unique celebration of stylish and intelligent women everywhere.
Net-A-Porter Group’s Vice-President of Publishing & Media, Tess Macleod-Smith explains, “These latest figures from BPA Worldwide confirm what we here at Porter already knew, that busy stylish women today are looking a magazine that delivers inspiring content together with effortless, instant shoppability. Strong subscription and digital growth, alongside an impressive overall circulation increase puts us in a strong position at the start of 2017, and we predict further growth for the Porter brand as we continue to build on our reputation as media innovators and leaders in content and commerce.”
