Cast your minds back to August, where we took a look at the News of the World scandal. Back then, we promised you an update on what the Sunday market looks like after the death of the paper, and at What’s Hot, we always keep our promises.
This is largely a sad tale of going, going – but not quite gone. The market continues to decline as it becomes apparent that by December 2011 nearly 50% of the NOTW’s former readers have been lost from the Sunday newspaper market entirely. Evidence of changing consumer habits for some 1.5Million people.
According to the ABCs – independently measured figures on media performance – July 2011 showed circulation increases across the board, except for the continued decline at The Observer and News International sister paper the Sunday Times, both down 1% period-on-period. The biggest winners were The Daily Star on Sunday, The People , the Sunday Mirror, Sunday Express and the Mail on Sunday who collectively added 1,865,242 copies to their circulation in July 2011. This trend then seemed to continue with further increases for The Sunday Mirror, People, Daily Star on Sunday and the Sunday Express in August’s ABC results.
Six months on and the Sunday Mirror, People, Daily Star on Sunday and the Sunday Express have emerged the triumphant winners, with an average 56.99% increase YoY compared to declines felt elsewhere in the Sunday market. The Daily Star on Sunday in particular has benefited, having maintained circulation at over double the number pre NOTW’s withdrawal from the market. Despite this all have seen their circulations slipping back, collectively losing 542,247 sales since the July gains.
Those who had been braver in their choices and switched to the mid-market Mail On Sunday began to fall away in August as the reader offers and promotions started to dry up. This decline has largely continued since then, with the Mail now below its pre-NOTW closure circulation and having dipped below the magic 2million mark it had surpassed in July. Despite this, it remains the biggest player in the Sunday market.
It’s clear that large numbers of the NOTW’s readers have withdrawn completely from the Sunday market, and fluctuating circulations certainly indicate that those who remain are perhaps not fully satisfied with the interim solutions. As initial public outrage over the NOTW’s unethical practices dies down, the concept of a Sunday Sun becomes more tangible. With the Sun still dominating circulations during the week (2,530,843) it seems a matter of when not if News International will move to snap up the readers they lost when the NOTW shut up shop. As the Leveson inquiry continues, we will have to wait and see if a new title emerges.