Below are statements about their ABC results from: Bauer Media, The Big Issue, Condé Nast, Dennis Publishing, Egmont Publishing, Haymarket Media Group, Hearst Magazines UK, Immediate Media Co, Prospect, Rock Sound, Shortlist Media, Slimming World, TeamRock and Time Inc UK.
Bauer Media
Commenting on the figures, Rob Munro-Hall, Group Managing Director, Bauer Magazine Media said: "It’s pleasing to see so many of our famous print brands delivering growth during this ABC period whilst at the same time, significantly extending their reach across multiple-platforms. Empire is a brand at the top of its game, with some ground-breaking plans in the pipeline for 2016. Q has developed its considerable reach and influence, and MOJO remains the biggest title in the music market, both in the UK and overseas.
“Our gardening brands continue to deliver, with Garden News posting an impressive sixth consecutive year on year increase and Garden Answers delivering its fifth consecutive year on year increase. We’ve demonstrated the strength of our automotive portfolio, with year on year increases from Classic Cars, Classic Car Weekly, LRO, Practical Sportsbikes, RiDE, Performance Bikes and Classic Bike. All of these brands develop a deep and valuable connection with their audiences, issue after issue."
Highlights:
* World’s-biggest movie magazine Empire continues to dominate the film market, posting increases both pop 0.37% and yoy 1.95%.
* Iconic music bible MOJO boosts its circulation by 4.65% pop.
* Gardening portfolio sees sixth and fifth consecutive years of growth - Garden News and Garden Answers are up 4.74% and 2.01% yoy respectively.
* Motoring titles Classic Cars, Classic Car Weekly and LRO all show yoy growth.
FILM
Empire (m) – 145,183 (print + digital)
Empire has posted a second consecutive pop increase, up 0.37% and 1.95% on this time last year. The world’s biggest movie magazine continues to outsell its nearest film competitor by over two to one and is one of the strongest performing magazine brands in the UK.
Empire connects with 4 million fans across its multiple touchpoints - the magazine, website, social, digital edition, newsletter, podcast and live events – delivering compelling entertainment content and unique creative treatments. This period has seen world-first reveals of Star Wars: The Force Awakens heroes and villains in July followed up in November with an astonishing set of six 3D Star Wars VIII covers plus a limited edition Sainsbury’s retail run of 5000 special boxed editions, each with a Hasbro Star Wars figurine.
CELEBRITY WEEKLY
Closer (w) – 266,369 (print + digital)
Closer remains the biggest selling standalone title in the celeb weekly market on the UK newsstand and has grown market share by 0.9% yoy, selling on average 8,674 more than its nearest competitor for weekly standalone sales. The strength of the brand lies in its breadth and depth of content all rooted in a deep understanding of its readers.
WOMEN’S WEEKLY GLOSSY
Grazia (w) 138,992 (print + digital)
Grazia continues to reach more AB readers than any other women’s weekly glossy. Graziadaily also expanded its audience growing (UUs) by over 13% in 2015. The brand’s success has always been built on an in-depth knowledge of its audience and this has led to a series of new commercial relationships in 2015 including launch of the Office Shoespaper and the introduction of high-profile advertisers including Burberry and Loewe.
MATURITY
Yours (f) – 260,003 (print only)
The stability of Yours is due to consistently delivering a product that deeply connects with an incredibly loyal 50+ readership who love Yours’ value, variety and relevance. Yours successfully launched its digital edition in latter half of 2015.
MUSIC
MOJO (m) – 70,445 (print only)
The iconic music monthly has boosted its circulation by 4.65% pop and remains the biggest paid-for title in the music market both in the UK and overseas. Engaging its upscale loyal audience with a quality, immersive music experience, MOJO has delivered world exclusive cover stories featuring some of the biggest names in music including Keith Richards, Fleetwood Mac, Patti Smith and The Who.
Q (m) – 44,050 (print + digital)
Q records a pop increase of 0.12%. As well as running exclusive cover stories with The Libertines, Kanye West and Coldplay, the magazine also hosted its annual awards in conjunction with Absolute Radio. This influential strategic partnership extends to weekly programming on the station – including the Sunday Night Music Club in Association with Q which features members of the magazine’s editorial team and reaches thousands of ardent music fans.
GARDENING
Garden News (w) - 36,952 (print only)
Garden News has seen its sixth consecutive year of growth in 2015, up 4.74% yoy. This has been driven via product development with specific focus on maximising the front cover appeal and content development as well as a strategic gifting strategy.
Garden Answers (m) – 19,782 (print only)
Garden Answers has recorded its fifth consecutive yoy increase of 2.01%. The team has continued to build on the success of 2014, with continued focus on the cover image to celebrate the joy of flowers.
MOTORING
Classic Car Weekly (w) – 23,856 (print only)
The title continues to give its readers the best access to the freshest cars for sale, as well as unrivalled news and events coverage from the heart of the classic car scene. It has recorded a 0.33% yoy increase.
Classic Cars (m) – 37,426 (print + digital)
Classic Cars has achieved a 2.39% yoy increase. The magazine is Britain’s longest established classic car title, bringing enthusiasts the sharpest coverage of market trends, buying advice and exciting cars from the past.
LRO (m) – 32,375 (print & digital)
LRO has posted a yoy growth of 0.07% and continues to outsell its nearest rival by nearly 2:1.
MOTORCYCLING
Practical Sportsbikes (m) – 19,862 (print only)
Practical Sportsbikes has capitalised on the loyalty of its readers by converting more of its existing base to subscriptions with a series of well-targeted incentives, increasing subscribers and driving a yoy increase of 2.92%.
RiDE (m) – 34,638 (print + digital)
RiDE underwent a refresh during 2015, refocussing the product on its core editorial values of gear, bikes and tours. Supported by a suite of both innovative and established newsstand promotions, the title has achieved an overall year on year ABC increase of 3.73%, with sales of its digital edition up 51% yoy.
Performance Bikes (m) - 16,863 (print + digital)
In its 30th anniversary year, Performance Bikes has cemented its position as the leading sportsbike title in the UK. Consistently delivering the first news and tests of some long-awaited high-powered sportsbikes and super-powered machines, PB has achieved a yoy growth of 3.70%.
The Big Issue
The largest and most trusted social business delivers national ABC growth
The Big Issue has bucked national magazine sales trends to deliver a RISE in their annual sales figure.
The magazine, sold on Britain’s streets by people who are encountering homelessness or poverty, saw its weekly ABC sales rise to 78,201 copies during 2015, an increase of almost 0.7% against the 2014 figure.
The Big Issue Christmas week edition sold over 345,000 copies – a lift of some 20% year on year.
“We’re delighted with this news,” said UK editor Paul McNamee. “It shows the appetite the great British public have for the magazine and the ongoing desire they have to help our vendors help themselves.
“These are all fully paid for copies – no bulks, no freebies, nothing handed out. It’s a great validation of the incredible hard work by everybody in The Big Issue – our distribution team, our editorial team, our essential support staff and especially our vendors.
“Selling The Big Issue is one of the toughest jobs that people can do. It takes guts and real fortitude to stand out in any weather and sell our magazine.
“It’s humbling that coming up to our 25th anniversary, we’re still a publication that people want to read.
“Here’s to more growth in 2016.”
It has been a year of ongoing success for The Big Issue. In May, their startling cover showing severely injured veteran soldier Rick Clement was named British Cover of The Year at the prestigious PPA Awards. They also won Cover of the Year in December for a different cover at the PPA Scotland Awards. There have been a number of other editorial and design awards in recent years for the resurgent title.
Reflecting the intent to grow commercially through 2016, The Big Issue has appointed Russell Blackman as their new MD for Publishing & Business Development. Previously, Group Publisher at Dennis Publishing where he enjoyed a successful time in leading the Entertainment and Fitness divisions, Blackman aims to build on the solid foundation.
He said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the organisation at such an exciting and pivotal time.
“As The Big Issue enters its 25th year and on the cusp of selling its 200 millionth issue, the business is performing exceptionally well, which these latest ABC results reflect.
“The Big Issue is the UK’s most successful and trusted social business and I look forward to working with the team to continue the vital work they do.”
Condé Nast
Condé Nast posts resilient ABC figures
Condé Nast Britain has today released its latest set of ABC figures combining print and digital sales for the period July to December 2015. Circulation remains healthy, as engagement with Condé Nast brands grows across a variety of platforms.
Vogue
In its centenary year the fashion bible Vogue posts a new ABC of 195,010, with total UK subscriptions up by 3.5% year on year. Vogue.co.uk continues to attract a wider audience, currently receiving 2,200,656 unique users, with 2.9 million followers on Twitter and 2.9 million Facebook fans. Ways to engage with the brand are further increased with the bi-annual magazine Miss Vogue, and the annual Vogue Festival.
House & Garden
The pre-eminent quality media brand for design and decoration announces an ABC of 113,055, up period on period and with single copy sales up by 1%. Its digital iteration House has 958,922 unique users and the brand is brought to life annually with the Spirit of Summer and Spirit of Christmas Fairs, events enjoyed by a total audience in excess of 100,000.
Brides
The UK’s number one bridal magazine, Brides maintains a robust lead over its closest competitor with a new ABC of 42,784. The website attracts an audience of 1,573,893, the highest audited digital reach for any bridal title.
Tatler
Tatler unveils a new ABC of 84,412. This is an increase of 0.3% in UK actively purchased copies, UK subscriptions are up by 10.3%, total sales have risen by 0.2% and digital copy sales increased by 2% year on year. Tatler reaches a highly targeted wealthy audience with a gross brand reach of 1 million people every month.
The World of Interiors
The World of Interiors is the go-to source for design professionals and style arbiters. Posting a new ABC of 58,081, single copy sales have risen by 2.5%, total actively purchased copies have increased by 0.3% period on period and total subscriptions are up 2.3% year on year
GQ
GQ announces an ABC of 120,011. GQ.co.uk has recently been reimagined with a mobile first strategy and a new GQ Video channel launches imminently. GQ is the leading upmarket men’s lifestyle multimedia brand and the recipient of 56 major awards to date for print and digital.
Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair has a new ABC of 80,008, an increase of 0.8% in UK total subscriptions period on period. From print to the big screen, tablet to iPhone, Vanity Fair is the pre-eminent arbiter of our era.
Condé Nast Traveller
With an ABC of 78,009, Condé Nast Traveller has increased single copy sales by 2.9% year on year and the website has 809,740 unique users*, up by 39% year on year. The title is the leading luxury British travel publication, and the world’s most discerning travel media brand.
Glamour
Glamour posts an ABC of 350,031. Remaining the media brand of choice across multiple platforms for the millennial generation and beyond, Glamour has a combined gross audience reach of nearly 7.5 million. The Glamour Beauty Festival will take place for the first time this coming March in central London.
Wired
Wired announces an ABC of 54,060, up both year on year and period on period. Total subscriptions are up 2.3% year on year. The Wired.co.uk online audience of 2,078,300 unique users* together with Wired Events and the Consulting business influences a significant and hard-to-reach audience.
The ‘Love Club’ S/S 16 issue of bi-annual Love has just been published, and continues to redefine the edgy high-end sector. Britain’s essential style bible GQ Style will publish its S/S 16 issue in March, and has just celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Nicholas Coleridge, Managing Director of Condé Nast, comments "It is reassuring how resilient the upmarket magazine circulations have been, with two-thirds of our brands growing in print copies as well as digital. At times like these, it is a pleasure to be publishing at the top of the market, where our readers remain firmly wedded to the highest quality.”
Dennis Publishing
Dennis reports strong ABC across current affairs, motoring, tech and lifestyle divisions
* The Week celebrates its 35th consecutive print ABC increase and impressive digital circulation figures, with a combined ABC of 238,765, up 4.8% YOY
* Cyclist reports impressive 4.7% print increase YOY
* Motoring titles Land Rover Monthly and Octane see print increase of 4% YOY and 3.2% YOY respectively
* Increases for both Fortean Times and Viz
* Fortnightly technology titles Web User and Computer Active show growth in an increasingly tough market
Dennis Publishing can today report a strong ABC performance across its portfolio of current affairs, motoring, tech and lifestyle brands.
Current affairs title The Week reports 2% YOY print increase, 25.4% YOY digital publication certificate circulation increase
The media company’s flagship title The Week continues its print and digital success, growing its combined circulation by 4.8% YOY, 2.2% POP to 238,765.
James Tye, Chief Executive of Dennis Publishing, said: “The Week had an outstanding 2015. The brand significantly grew its circulation both in print and digitally, whilst undertaking two major brand extension launches with The Week Junior and The WeekDay app. Its continued success can be put down to the flawless editorial offering, the targeted subscriptions model and Dennis’ continued investment in the brand.”
Cyclist magazine bucks market trend with 4.7% YOY print and 4% YOY combined increase
Dennis’ road cycling title Cyclist, which launched into a crowded market three years ago, celebrates an impressive 4.7% print increase YOY. The brand has grown from strength to strength, launching a successful website in 2015 to complement the print offering.
Land Rover Monthly increases circulation to 22,075; Octane reaches 39,371 print circulation, whilst Auto Express reports stable circulation of 45,150 down -0.4% POP
Specialist motoring titles Land Rover Monthly and Octane celebrate strong ABC results, with combined circulation increase of 3.6%YOY and 3.3% YOY respectively.
Auto Express reports a steady POP circulation, - 0.4% POP, -2% YOY, growing the brand influence in the market, which saw its online counterpart autoexpress.co.uk increase monthly unique visits by 38% YOY to over 3million, with page views up 64% YOY.
WebUser up 1.4% YOY to 29,463 and Computer Active reports circulation of 87,565
As UK’s largest technology publisher, Dennis is pleased to report an increase of 1.4% YOY for WebUser and a stable result for Computer Active down a negligible -0.8% YOY to 87, 565, showing the strength of its fortnightly brands in an increasingly fragmented market.
Iconic British magazine Viz reports circulation increase of 0.4% and Fortean Times sees an increase of 0.3%
Viz, now in its 36th year of publication, and Fortean Times, in its 43rd year, both grew YOY with increases of 0.4% and 0.3% respectively.
Egmont Publishing
Disney Frozen holds no.1 position in children’s market
* Disney Frozen up 8.8% period on period
* Disney & Me up 9.7% year on year
* Toxic up 3.9% year on year
Egmont Publishing UK is celebrating the continued success of Disney Frozen magazine, which retains the number 1 spot with the highest ABC in the children’s magazine market. The title’s latest ABC is 99,005, an 8.8% increase on the last period.
Jo Doubtfire, Publisher of Egmont’s Disney magazines portfolio said ‘We are delighted with the continued success of Disney Frozen magazine. Excitement about the Frozen story continues to grow and in the magazine Frozen fans find all the elements of the story that resonate with them. They enjoy interacting with their favourite characters off screen and our strong creative treatment and our exciting covermount programme really support this.’
Egmont also enjoys a strong set of ABC results with significant year on year increases for Toxic, and Disney & Me.
Cally Poplak, Managing Director of Egmont Publishing UK said: ‘I’m very proud of our performance in this round of ABC’s. Realising growth in our challenging and highly competitive sector of the market is a real achievement. Consumer focus and creative excellence underpin our approach to everything we do and this is our key to success – really knowing what parents and their children want from a magazine.’
Haymarket Media Group
Forever Sports passes 104,000 and celebrates 49% growth since launch
Haymarket Media Group today announces highlights from the latest ABC results for the period January - December 2015, with its consumer brands delivering powerful performances in the sport, automotive and consumer electronic sectors.
Forever Sports celebrates an impressive 49% growth in circulation in just under two years since launch, making it the most successful actively-purchased men’s title launch in the last decade. The award-winning brand, published under contract by Haymarket Network, has posted an ABC of 104,974 (16.5% YoY increase) making it the third biggest actively-purchased men’s title, just behind GQ. In the next few months, Forever Sports will be evolving the brand and launching a new website, continuing with its mission to become the biggest-selling men’s title in the UK.
Haymarket’s FourFourTwo has also defended its position in the sports market and remains the UK’s best selling adult football magazine. Whilst reporting decline in UK newsstand sales, rapid international expansion means the brand now boasts 14 editions in key football markets such as Spain, Turkey, Poland, South Korea and Australia. FourFourTwo experienced notable digital growth in 2015, aided by its strategic international syndication partnership with Yahoo. In 2015, FourFourTwo.com's monthly unique users grew by 60% in the UK and 170% globally.
The UK’s leading car buying title, What Car?, celebrates a notable 4.26% uplift in newsstand sales, aided by a reconfiguration of the cover in March 2015. With a print and digital circulation of 61,062, combined with its mobile and social reach, What Car? has over 5.5 million monthly points of contact with its audience on the move, at work, at home and at the crucial point of sale.
The world’s best-selling classic car brand, Classic & Sports Car, continues to defy market trends with a 2.78% increase in print sales in the past year. This is complemented by exponential growth online - digital subscriptions are up 28.82%, and classicandsportscar.com gains 120,000 monthly uniques. The brand has extended its reach with the launch of Classic & Sports Car – The London Show. Having rapidly sold all the available exhibitor space and sponsorship packages, the show displayed the most expensive selection of cars (estimated to have a combined worth of £190 million) ever seen in the British capital and attracted more than 15,000 visitors who between them spent £6.6 million.
Haymarket’s consumer electronic portfolio, Stuff and What Hi-Fi?, remain the number one brands to reach deeply engaged tech enthusiasts, selling over 100,000 copies a month. Despite a decline in newsstand sales, the magazine remains a central part of Stuff’s brand identity and it still remains market-leader in print sales. Stuff.tv is now live in nine territories to complement the brand’s 15 print editions; Stuff engages online with over 3 million technology fans worldwide. What Hi-Fi? is the only ABC-audited title to provide expert buying advice for anything from headphones to TVs and record players to streaming services. Its new ABC of 29,503 (including a 16.77% uplift in digital editions) shows that even with the wealth of online reviews now available, UK consumers return to What Hi-Fi? for its authority. The exceptional growth of WhatHiFi.com means over 2.5 million consumers access the brand’s specialist content every month.
Kevin Costello, CEO, Haymarket Media Group, commented: “It’s fantastic news to see Forever Sports, launched initially as a print brand, go from strength to strength and post an ABC of almost 105k.
“I’m also delighted, given the market, to see our automotive brands reporting positive multi-platform growth - including some notable wins in print. Whilst increasing numbers choose to access our content digitally, it’s clear that Haymarket brands have the attributes that offer unique value to consumers.
“Our focus now at Haymarket is to capitalise on our highly-engaged, specialist audiences and build upon our portfolio to become the best international specialist media and information company in our chosen markets.”
Hearst Magazines UK
Refreshed Cosmopolitan surges +57.3% YoY to be the highest circulating women’s glossy magazine and Good Housekeeping remains highest selling women’s lifestyle title with 400k+ circulation
Hearst Magazines UK, the publisher of Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar, has released its latest set of ABC figures (July-Dec 2015). Cosmopolitan records a 57.3% year-on-year increase to become the highest circulating women’s glossy magazine and Good Housekeeping retains its market-leading women’s lifestyle position.
Cosmopolitan, which revealed a bold new look and new marketing and distribution strategy in Autumn last year, posts a combined ABC of 405,308, up 56.8% period-on-period and 57.3% year-on-year. Actively purchased copy sales were the main driver, increasing 45% year-on-year. Hearst’s dynamic new approach includes stronger marketing investment in classic distribution channels, a new pricing strategy and two new route to market programmes: ‘pick up’ and ‘pop up’, with the aim of putting Cosmopolitan into the hands of as many women as possible. In addition to traditional retail outlets, the magazine is also distributed to where the Cosmopolitan reader spends her time – in shopping centres, cinemas, gyms and at work.
The brand’s new look is driven by Cosmopolitan’s new Editor, Farrah Storr. Previously Editor of Women’s Health, Farrah has introduced hard-hitting lifestyle features, career pages, instructional beauty and fashion advice, plus new food and travel sections.
Good Housekeeping retains its position as Britain’s biggest-selling women’s lifestyle magazine with a combined ABC of 409,696.
Women’s Health goes from strength-to-strength recording its seventh successive ABC increase since launch, posting a 0.6% period-on-period and 6.3% year-on-year increase, with a combined ABC of 125,549. Men’s Health keeps its position as the highest-selling paid for men’s lifestyle title with a combined ABC of 194,682.
ELLE increased its combined ABC to 164,727 recording a 0.4% period-on-period and 0.8% year-on-year increase. While Esquire grew 3.9% period-on-period and 0.2% year-on-year with a combined ABC of 58,678. Harper’s Bazaar posted a steady overall circulation, whilst growing +2.5% YoY for UK actively purchased sales.
Asda’s customer magazine, which Hearst now publishes, released an ABC of 2,042,940, down 3% period-on-period and up 4% year-on-year. The recently relaunched magazine is distributed free to customers and is the UK’s biggest lifestyle magazine.
Anna Jones, CEO of Hearst Magazines UK, says: “We are delighted to see that the new marketing and distribution strategy for Cosmopolitan is working. Our innovative new route to market programmes, together with unmissable point of sale promotion through traditional retailers, has allowed us to get its brilliant content out to an even bigger audience. We’re also reaching 4.8 million unique users every month online, and through Snapchat Discover, which has carried Cosmopolitan content since September last year, we are able to reach more women than ever before. In addition, we’re taking magazine content off the page and screen by creating events such as #FashFest which allow consumers to engage with Cosmopolitan’s expert editorial teams and to network with one another.
“Seeing growth from many of our key brands is hugely encouraging, especially as we continue to grow digitally, and through branded products and live events. Good Housekeeping has maintained its market leading position, ELLE once again delivers a growing audience of fashion-hungry consumers, Esquire posts an increased circulation and Women’s Health continues its upward trajectory.”
Simon Redlich, Interim Chief Executive of ABC, says: “We are pleased to have worked closely with Hearst to ensure their new marketing and distribution strategy for Cosmopolitan benefits from the ABC Stamp of Trust. Their focus on targeting new routes to market has been an important driver of the agenda for ABC. Our new category Sample Free Distribution, available since January, provides additional opportunities for continued innovation in the consumer market- benefiting both buyers and sellers.”
Full ABC results for Hearst Magazines UK are listed below.
MONTHLY BRANDS
Asda: Total combined ABC of 2,042,940, -3% PoP and +4% YoY
Cosmopolitan: Total combined ABC of 405,308, +56.8% PoP and +57.3% YoY
Country Living: Total combined ABC of 167,992, -0.5% PoP and -8% YoY
ELLE: Total combined ABC of 164, 727, +0.4% PoP and 0.8% YoY
ELLE Decoration: Total combined ABC of 66,978, +0.9% PoP and -4.3% YoY
Esquire: Total combined ABC of 58,678, +3.9% PoP and +0.2% YoY
Good Housekeeping: Total combined ABC of 409,696. +1.4% PoP and -2.4% YoY
Harper’s Bazaar: Total ABC of 110,294, +4% PoP and -1.3% YoY
House Beautiful: Total ABC of 108,429, -3.2% PoP and -11.8% YoY
Men’s Health: Total ABC of 194,682, +0.4% PoP and -2.7% YoY
Prima: Total ABC of 253,441 -4.1% PoP and -5.4% YoY
Red: Total ABC of 186,495, -1.2% PoP and -3.1% YoY
Runner’s World: Total ABC of 78,429, -2.9% YoY
Women’s Health: Total ABC of 125,549, +0.6% PoP and +6.3% YoY
WEEKLY BRANDS
All About Soap: Total ABC of 34,678, -19.9% PoP and -33% YoY
Best: Total ABC of 164,970, -3.7% PoP and -15.6 YoY
Inside Soap: Total ABC of 117,539, -5.6% PoP and -11.7% YoY
Real People: Total ABC of 156,392. -0.1% PoP and -10.7 YoY
Reveal: Total ABC of 122,986, -7.6% PoP and -23.6% YoY
Immediate Media Co
Immediate Media Co delivers consecutive ABC rise with all channels in growth
Immediate Media Co, the special interest content and platform company, has posted a combined print and digital circulation of 2,426,915, up 1.9% year-on-year. The results mark a second consecutive year-on-year rise in volume – underlined by a rise in Retail Sales Value – Immediate’s best annual ABC performance to date.
* Immediate’s ABC audited print circulation is 2,369,987 – up 1.6% year-on-year, and 31% period-on-period after a hugely successful Christmas period.
* Immediate’s annualised Retail Sales Value increases by 1.6% year-on-year, to £122.4m.
* Subscriptions are also up year-on-year, delivering a total of 1.13 million subscribers, generating 6% growth in subscription revenues to £49.7m and underlining Immediate’s position as the leading magazine media company for subscriptions.
* Immediate’s ABC audited digital circulation also continues to rise, reporting a total circulation of 56,928 up 17.2% year-on-year.
Tom Bureau, CEO of Immediate Media Co, says: “Immediate is enjoying success across all channels, and not least with our magazines. Our print business is in growth as demand for our first choice special interest titles increases and consumers continue to pay a premium for the brands they love. We see print as one of our key platforms, and we will continue to invest there.”
“At the same time we continue to drive innovation in our strategy to transform the magazine media model. Our fast growth in data and transactions revenues – and our recent acquisition of the Jewellery Maker TV and online shopping platform – show we have no intention of letting up the pace of change across our company. With a relentless focus on understanding and engaging our audiences in new ways, we’re writing the blueprint for how a magazine media company can thrive in the new data economy.”
Highlights for the ABC period July-December 2015:
* Radio Times remains the UK’s biggest-selling quality magazine, with a weekly combined ABC of 732,765 retaining its position as the most valuable brand on the UK newsstand. Radio Times is also the UK’s biggest weekly subscription brand, with 255,185 subscribers, a 5% year-on-year increase as more than one in three readers now choose to commit to a long term relationship with the brand. Its digital growth continues at breakneck speed, with a record-breaking 9.1 million monthly unique visitors, up 102% year-on-year, providing a total brand reach of 3 million per week, up 6% year-on-year. The first ever Radio Times Festival took place at Hampton Court in September, as the brand continues to engage its audience in new and exciting ways.
* BBC History Magazine delivered a remarkable 20th consecutive ABC rise, selling 97,527 copies per month. This includes 81,976 in print, with 15,551 digital copies as it becomes the 4th largest UK digital edition by audited circulation. With a thriving live events business, it is a shining example of a brand in growth, engaging consumers across a range of platform touch points.
* Immediate’s Sport titles remain the market leaders in both road and off-road as Cycling Plus, with a combined circulation of 43,746, significantly outperforming its nearest rival Cyclist, selling 17,000 more copies.
* Now in its 25th year BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine delivers a combined ABC of 178,732 – cementing its position as the market leader in the actively purchased sector, representing three fifths of the entire volume of sales in the market. Digital edition sales of the brand are up 32% year-on-year.
* Boosted by launch activity and a strong brand portfolio, Immediate remains the number one publisher in the overall Children’s market with a gravity-defying performance, up 16% year-on-year. Lego Ninjago is the 6th fastest-rising magazine overall, with a period-on-period growth of 10.5% up to 64,178 copies. CBeebies Magazine continues its extraordinary growth, up 7.2% year-on-year to 64,513 monthly copies. Spin off CBeebies Art also performed well, up 15% year-on-year to 62,210. Readers have also given the thumbs up to Top of the Pops Magazine’s redesign as it has had a successful re-launch, up 7.2% year-on-year to 43,611.
BBC Magazine superbrands (published by Immediate Media Co) perform strongly
BBC Good Food
Combined: 233,954
Print Jan-June 2015: 223,517
Digital Jan-Jun 2015: 10,437
Combined YoY: -6.1%
Combined PoP: +6.3%
* BBC Good Food head and shoulders above rivals with a combined ABC of 233,954.
* Christmas edition huge success, relatively flat year on year, massively outperforms the market.
* BBC Good Food has more subscribers than its next two rivals’ total audience combined.
* Astonishing growth digitally, smashes through 20 million barrier at Christmas.
* BBC Good Food has cemented its position as the magazine media brand with the largest reach across all platforms, bolstered by significant growth in mobile. (according to NRS PADD).
* The Live shows continue to expand. There are now eight a year, with the first ever international show taking place in Dubai last December and a debut show in Northern Ireland in the Autumn.
According to Publishing Director, BBC Magazines, Simon Carrington: “BBC Good Food has had a year of unprecedented success with its best commercial performance ever. We continue to stand head and shoulders above our rivals in print and are reaping the benefits of a bold strategy to move to real time publishing and extend our Christmas on sale period to 6 weeks. The brand is in rude health, with the website hitting a remarkable 20 million unique users over Christmas. The brand has re-affirmed its position as the magazine with the largest reach across all platforms and launched a record number of live shows. It is a specialist site with a newspaper reach. With exciting plans coming up over the next few months the only way is up for this media icon.”
BBC Top Gear Magazine
Combined: 133,163
Print Jan-June 2015: 120,005
Digital Jan-Jun 2015: 13,158
Combined YoY: -7.9%
Combined PoP: -0.4%
* BBC Top Gear Magazine solid performs during transition period with a combined ABC of 133,163.
* The brand has a wider reach than ever. The website now fully optimized with x million unique users.
* The social reach is huge with 21.5 million facebook fans across the Top Gear and Stig profiles and nearly 2 million followers on Twitter.
* Awards issue is in next period.
According to Simon Carrington: “Top Gear continues to produce fantastic industry standard content that’s published across our market-leading platforms. During a period of transition for the show the magazine continues to outscoop our rivals with incredible features such as the driving the Mazda MX to the Arctic Tundra. We tactically decided to move our Awards issue to the next period and as we have seen in recent weeks there is growing anticipation about the new series and presenting line up. The new website has bedded in with an impressive audience and BBC Top Gear is a brand that shows no sign of slowing down.”
Prospect
Prospect achieves record circulation
Figures released by the independent Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) show that Prospect, the leading magazine of ideas, has achieved a record circulation figure.
This is Prospect’s third circulation increase in a row, reaching a new total of 32,123 recipients.
The total circulation increase is 2.2% with subscriptions increasing by 1% and newsstand sales increasing by 11%.
Prospect celebrates its 21st anniversary this year and now has more readers than ever, showing that independent thinking, in depth analysis and lively debate on the ideas shaping our world has never been more in demand.
Prospect's offering goes beyond the written word to a rich programme of events, debates and awards which bring in internationally-known speakers.
Bronwen Maddox, Editor, said: “This result is great news and a tribute to our excellent writers and contributors and our loyal and engaged readers. Prospect's commitment to dealing in depth with the big issues is being rewarded with a growing readership. This promises to be an exciting year with Britain's referendum on EU membership, the rise of nationalism in Europe, and the rise of surprising new political leaders in Britain and the US. Prospect is the magazine to read to stay ahead."
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is delighted to announce a third consecutive ABC increase
The independently-owned rock title sees its combined print and digital sales rise 3% to 13,924, completing a remarkable hat trick of consecutive growth following rises of 2.2% in 2014 and 6.6% in 2013. The news comes just two months after the magazine was named PPA Independent Consumer Magazine of the Year, topping a stunning year as other titles continue to see significant declines.
In addition to the magazine’s print and digital sales, the title’s website experienced a staggering year, with visitors up 55% from 3.9million in 2014 to more than 6million in 2015.
Comments Publisher Ryan Bird: “To be celebrating a third consecutive sales increase is something that not many people would have seen coming. We’ve always maintained that any title that knows, respects and relates to its audience can still grow and succeed, and this is the proof. Combined with a stunning rise in online traffic and activity we couldn’t have asked for a better year, and there’s a lot of exciting stuff coming up in 2016 and beyond. We’re only just getting started.”
Shortlist Media
Shortlist Media announces ABC increases
* ShortList and Stylist retain ABC market leadership
* ShortList’s new ABC of 505,562 represents 43.5% of the total men’s lifestyle sector
* Stylist’s new ABC of 404,014 gives it 22.3% of the total women’s lifestyle sector
ShortList announces a new ABC of 505,562 for the period July-December 2015. This is a positive variance of 0.7% on the Jan-June 2015 period and up 1% year on year. Stylist reports a July-December 2015 ABC of 404,014, which is 0.2% up on the six months prior and 1% up on the same period last year. These new figures reflect continued growth in demand from both of the UK’s leading freemium print brands.
Both titles remain number one in their sectors, with ShortList capturing 43.5% of the men’s market and Stylist achieving 22.3% of the women’s fashion and lifestyle market.
Shortlist Media’s titles are the UK’s only freemium titles to be distributed by hand merchandisers nationwide – in 10 major UK cities – and through a direct network into workplaces, retailers and airport lounges.
Multi-award winning journalism from the editorial teams on ShortList and Stylist is also now available on numerous platforms:
* On the web: ShortList.com and Stylist.co.uk have both enjoyed considerable growth over the past six months. ShortList.com has increased its reach of monthly UK Unique Users by 68% to 840,000, with total global UUs stretching to 3.7M. Stylist.co.uk has increased by 29% over the period to 990,000 UUs in the UK, with total global UUs rising to 2.8M.
* By email: ShortList’s daily email Mr Hyde has grown its active readership to 81,000 affluent urban men and Stylist’s daily email Emerald Street has expanded its reach to more than 125,000 engaged, active professional women readers. Both are number one in their markets.
* At live events: In the period, both ShortList and Stylist successfully hosted very large-scale events. Stylist Live was a four-day event in October that saw 13,070 readers descend upon the Islington Business Design Centre for inspiring masterclasses, catwalks, beauty treatments and cocktails. And ShortList created a sell-out, six-date tour of live concerts in autumn with Lynx, featuring exclusive sets by artists as diverse as Stereophonics and Rudimental.
* Internationally: Stylist is published every week in France and will be celebrating its third birthday in April, and Stylist Arabia, distributed in the Middle East, turned one. The Arabian edition of ShortList magazine launched in October 2015 to considerable acclaim.
Shortlist Media CEO Mike Soutar says: “I cannot speak highly enough of the teams behind our brilliant magazine brands. Not only have they continued to push the reach of their magazines every week, but they have also done so in style as the ever-increasing number of award nominations and wins attest. I’d also like to highlight the brilliant work of our distribution teams. We employ a mini army of more than 650 part-time merchandisers across the UK every week, and managing and motivating them is a huge task for our committed operations executives. Finally, I am delighted to see further growth from our other platforms and our live events team, meaning we are able to offer advertisers ever more inventive, compelling and powerful access to our much-valued audience of affluent, professional, urban men and women.”
Slimming World
Another weighty increase in Slimming World magazine’s circulation, ABCs show
Slimming World magazine’s circulation has grown by more than a third in the past two years, according to new ABC figures (Audit Bureau of Circulations) released today.
The title, which has climbed to the 4th spot in the actively purchased magazine charts, recorded a combined print and digital circulation of 616,841 for July to December 2015.
This new figure is a trend-bucking increase of 66,434 copies (12.1%) period on period, a rise of 119,134 copies (23.9%) year on year, and up 158,324 copies (34.5%) in the last two years.
Editor and Publisher of Slimming World magazine Elise Wells, who joined the team in 2007, is hugely proud of the magazine’s continued success. She says: “We’ve seen a steady increase in our circulation over the years – it stood at 258,903 in 2007* – and reached numbers we only dreamed of a few years ago. It’s mind-blowing to have celebrated period on period increases of more than 50,000 and 60,000 in the last year alone – especially in such a challenging time for the industry, when other publications are struggling.
“Of course, our success is linked to the continued growth and success of Slimming World groups and our online programme. I believe the quality of Slimming World magazine is a big reason that we’ve been the best-selling title in the diet and health sector for so long and that we continue to attract more and more readers though. We’ve never taken our strong circulation for granted; as a team we’re constantly pushing ourselves to create new and better content that’s totally targeted to the needs of people losing weight and inspires and supports slimmers to achieve their goals. We’re also always looking to improve upon the look and feel of the magazine.”
The magazine is sold at a discounted price in Slimming World’s weekly groups, providing an additional layer of support and inspiration to the organisation’s group members, and online members can receive the magazine as part of their web-based support package. It is also sold on newsstands and a digital edition is available. Some 606,767 of the magazine’s sales are print copies and the digital edition recorded sales of 10,074, meaning it is ranked 15th overall and is the top women’s digital title.
Director of Marketing and Communications Jan Boxshall says: “We’re thrilled by the success of the magazine, which so beautifully enhances the support and inspiration we give to our members every week in our 14,000 groups around the UK.”
TeamRock
TeamRock bucks print industry trends
Today TeamRock announces impressive performances for its flagship print magazine brands, Classic Rock and Metal Hammer.
In the January to December 2015 period, Classic Rock has defied market trends by recording year on year growth of 0.3% with a total print ABC figure of 51,219, outperforming direct competitors Mojo, Uncut and Q. Metal Hammer has delivered similarly impressive results when compared to the heavy metal subsector with a total ABC print figure of 20,961 down -9.6% year on year, a 15% improvement against last years’ figures and once again outperforming Kerrang!.
Billy Anderson CEO of TeamRock says: “We are extremely encouraged by the results we’ve been able to deliver in very tough market conditions. Print is just one component of our audience which is growing exponentially through our membership, digital, social and audio channels”.
TeamRock’s vision is to become the global home of Rock and Metal. 2016 is to be a transformative year as TeamRock expands aggressively into new markets including Japan where we will be hosting the 2016 Classic Rock awards for the first time. Further international expansion will be delivered via key content partnerships with global players such as Spotify.
Time Inc UK
Time Inc. UK brands continue to connect consumers to their passions across multiple platforms
* NME, woman&home, Pick Me Up, Country Life and TVTimes deliver growth
* Time Inc. UK continues its transformation with new acquisitions and launches
Time Inc. UK CEO Marcus Rich comments: “This ABC period Time Inc. UK is celebrating success across a number of sectors including music, women’s weeklies, TV and our specialist titles. Our brands have strengthened their position in their respective markets with brand extensions and new launches. Our brands continue to grow across our multiple platforms and Time Inc. UK reaches 14.5 million consumers every month.
“This period we release the first ABC for the relaunched NME and are delighted that the brand has smashed its target, delivering an ABC of 307,217. We continue to increase the number of distribution locations and have added more universities, retail outlets and more recently supermarkets. Under the leadership of editor-in-chief Mike Williams, the refreshed magazine has been positively received by consumers who love the new content mix and are proactively seeking out the magazine. Our commercial partners are also taking advantage of the new opportunities with the brand and advertising revenues are up 42%. Our strategy has been a huge success and it truly is an exciting new era for this iconic brand.
“We are also celebrating period-on-period growth for TVTimes, which posts a combined print and digital ABC increase of 3.3%. During this period the brand celebrated its 60th anniversary with a pop-up exhibition of never before seen images from the 50s and 60s. The brand still enjoys the same exclusive access to TV stars as it did six decades ago and consumers continue to welcome TVTimes into their homes each week to guide their TV viewing.
“In women’s lifestyle, woman&home increased its print circulation by 2.1% on the period and continues to be the biggest selling women’s lifestyle monthly on the UK newsstand. Consumers also demonstrated loyalty to our weekly brands with Pick Me Up achieving a market-beating print 1.4% circulation increase this period and Woman, Woman’s Own and Woman’s Weekly all taking a greater share of their respective subsectors on the year.
“We continue to lead the Home Interest market, with Ideal Home retaining the top spot in the sector. Homes & Gardens also enjoys a period-on-period print ABC increase of 3%. In fashion, InStyle is one of the strongest performers in the market as it continues its 100% focus on fashion and beauty. Editor Charlotte Moore was honoured as joint winner of the BSME Fiona Macpherson new editor of the year award in November.
“Country Life celebrates its sixth consecutive print ABC increase, with the Christmas issue being the biggest-selling issue in its 119-year history. Editor Mark Hedges approaches 10 years at the helm and we eagerly await the brand hitting the small screen later in the year in a new three-part BBC2 documentary celebrating the British countryside through its eyes. And finally, rugby fans turned to Rugby World for the inside track on the World Cup, with the brand delivering an 8.4% year-on-year print increase.
“We continue to transform our business and in recent months have launched a number of brand extensions, new products and made some exciting acquisitions. Already this year we have launched List for Life, a new source of inspiration and practical career advice for 18-34 year-olds, and Powder, a new mobile-first beauty service that we have also extended to offer tailored beauty boxes.
“Last year, we acquired UK Cycling Events, the UK’s leading provider of premium cycling events and International Craft & Hobby Fair Limited (ICHF), the UK’s number one craft events business. We also made a strategic investment in Snap Fashion, a visual search business specialising in fashion. This year we look forward to Marie Claire and Ocado’s partnership – the Marie Claire Beauty Shop - coming to fruition and in June the launch of the Field & Country Fair which celebrates the British countryside and field sports.
“Our focus for 2016 continues to be on creating content and experiences that entertain and connect people to their passions.”
