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October 20, 2016

Sunday Times, FT, Guardian and Observer were best performing print titles in September

By Dominic Ponsford

The Sunday Times, Financial Times, Guardian and Observer were the best performing national newspapers in terms of print circulation last month.

They were the only paid-for national newspapers to grow sales month on month compared to August, with The Sunday Times up 0.7 per cent, the FT up 2.3 per cent, The Observer up 0.4 per cent and The Guardian up 0.3 per cent.

Looking at the longer term year-on-year trend, the only paid-for titles distributing more in September 2016 than a year earlier were The Times, i and the Star titles.

The Times increase is mainly due to extra free (bulk) copies and the Star titles are hanging on to gains from price cuts earlier in the year. The i picked up sales following the closure of sister title The Independent in April.

UK national newspaper print circulations for September 2016 (source ABC)

Title Sep 16 MoM% YoY% Multiple Sales
The Sun 1696685 -1.48 -5.75 96274
Daily Mail 1520200 -1.2 -5.52 76035
The Sun on Sunday 1457999 -1.24 -2.85 99122
Metro (free) 1341536 1.56 -0.45
The Mail on Sunday 1328581 -1.1 -7.42 68524
London Evening Standard (free) 890823 3.76 2.3
The Sunday Times 772614 0.73 -0.11 74146
Daily Mirror 767738 -0.59 -10.28 45000
Sunday Mirror 692131 -0.15 -14.59 45000
Daily Star 475899 -3.61 17.98 488
The Daily Telegraph 458272 -1 -4.7 20992
The Times 440048 -0.75 12.09 74271
Daily Express 401914 -2.46 -3.85
The Sunday Telegraph 364191 -2.17 -0.56 25155
Sunday Express 351584 -2.46 -4.21
i 290263 -0.38 4.6 68548
Daily Star – Sunday 285225 -5.56 13.83
Sunday People 265747 -2 -13.23 7000
Financial Times 193553 2.27 -6.41 21220
The Observer 182636 0.44 -5.93
Sunday Mail 179964 -1.94 -11.94 3845
Daily Record 165203 -2.25 -11.39 4963
The Guardian 157704 0.25 -5.55
Sunday Post 147433 -2.66 -21.13
City AM (free) 91050 -0.35 -12.08

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