The Northcliffe group had the fastest growing major network of regional news websites in the UK in the second half of 2009 according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
Figures released today show that the Northcliffe Media Network, which includes the websites of the Hull Daily Mail and the Leicester Mercury, attracted 3.9 million unique users a month on average in the second half of 2009 – up 34.9 per cent year on year.
Over the six-month audit period the Northcliffe sites attracted an average of just over 250,000 unique users a day.
The only regional newspaper group audited by ABC not to increase its web traffic in the period was GMG Regional Media – which is now in the process of being sold by Guardian Media Group to Trinity Mirror. Overall GMG fell 12.3 per cent to 179m unique users a month on average, and 86,873 a day
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Its figures were held back by the Manchester-based MEN Media Online Network. It attracted 1.7m unique users in December, down 25.4 per cent year on year, and 67,891 users per day on average.
Johnston Press is the most popular online publisher in the regional press, attracting 6.9m unique users a month on average across its network of sites – up 11.6 per cent. It was helped largely by the biggest regional media site, The Scotsman, which fell 17.6 per cent year on year to 1.7m unique users a month.
Newsquest attracted 5.7m unique users a month to its websites, up 21.3 per cent, and an average of 320,375 unique users a day.
Trinity Mirror attracted 5.5m unique users a month across its regional network, up 12.5 per cent, and 287,000 a day on average.
Ilffe News and Media attracted 555,000 unique users a month across its websites (31,962 a day) – up 42 per cent year on year.
The Kent Messenger’s Kent Online attracted 231,064 unique users a month (13,044 a day) and Midlands News Association, which publishes the Express and Star, attracted just over 700,000 unique users a month (40,085 a day). No year on year comparisons were available for these last two groups.
UK regional press websites ranked by popularity in the second half of 2009 (source ABC)
Figures quoted are: average daily unique users; average monthly unique users; change year on year
Scotsman.com ; 86,694 ; 1,679,568 ; -17.6%
MEN Media On Line Network (All Manchester Sites) ; 67,891 ; 1,299,263 ; -25.4%
getsurrey.co.uk ; 51,898 ; 910,893 ; -19.2%
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk ; 39,294 ; 692,482 ; 26.6%
www.Walesonline.co.uk ; 35,570 ; 758,276 ; 3.3%
heraldscotland.com ; 31,600 ; 555,722 ;
theherald.co.uk ; 30,315 ; 534,749 ;
Expressandstar.com ; 30,059 ; 503,435 ;
thisisnottingham ; 25,415 ; 379,561 ; 36.7%
thisishull ; 23,530 ; 307,607 ; 29.7%
www.birminghammail.net ; 23,367 ; 447,006 ; 46.2%
thisisbristol ; 22,244 ; 390,997 ; 77.9%
thisisderbyshire ; 22,048 ; 303,728 ; 21.0%
LEP.co.uk ; 21,562 ; 384,132 ; 28.6%
www.chroniclelive.co.uk ; 21,393 ; 346,057 ; 18.3%
Thestar.co.uk ; 20,770 ; 322,418 ; 31.0%
dailyecho.co.uk ; 20,194 ; 308,476 ; 46.9%
thisisthesentinel ; 19,966 ; 311,775 ; 36.0%
eveningtimes.co.uk ; 19,155 ; 290,544 ; 19.0%
thisisleicestershire ; 18,706 ; 289,634 ; 30.3%
Yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk ; 18,246 ; 291,428 ; 19.4%
thisisplymouth ; 17,986 ; 269,612 ; 38.1%
theargus.co.uk ; 17,898 ; 317,169 ; 20.9%
thisisgloucestershire ; 16,601 ; 240,575 ; 26.0%
Portsmouth.co.uk ; 16,464 ; 233,596 ; 15.7%
www.coventrytelegraph.net ; 16,074 ; 368,459 ; 77.1%
Blackpoolgazette.co.uk ; 15,440 ; 249,610 ; 23.3%
www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk ; 15,236 ; 307,215 ; -25.0%
www.gazettelive.co.uk ; 15,202 ; 241,110 ; -11.8%
Cambridge News ; 15,025 ; 240,588 ; 75.2% –
thetelegraphandargus.co.uk ; 14,141 ; 240,089 ; 13.6%
thenorthernecho.co.uk ; 13,947 ; 285,314 ; 35.4%
Kent Online (KM Group) Network ; 13,044 ; 231,064 ;
Sunderlandecho.com ; 12,931 ; 203,301 ; 2.1%
thisisgrimsby ; 12,677 ; 165,545 ; 34.5%
Yorkshirepost.co.uk ; 12,660 ; 304,836 ; 6.2%
lancashiretelegraph.co.uk ; 12,198 ; 213,119 ; 11.9%
www.journallive.co.uk ; 11,666 ; 225,298 ; 30.3%
thisissouthwales ; 11,524 ; 196,703 ; 25.5%
Shropshirestar.com ; 11,235 ; 222,346 ;
thepress.co.uk ; 11,229 ; 179,594 ; 36.2%
theboltonnews.co.uk ; 10,341 ; 174,791 ; 26.2%
Oxfordmail.co.uk ; 10,202 ; 178,423 ; 19.7%
Halifaxcourier.co.uk ; 10,201 ; 149,931 ; 27.0%
Peterboroughtoday.co.uk ; 9,902 ; 165,772 ; 14.6%
thisislincolnshire ; 9,317 ; 134,196 ; 9.8%
Swindonadvertiser.co.uk ; 9,297 ; 128,840 ; 64.4%
newsshopper.co.uk ; 8,221 ; 168,148 ; 48.1%
www.birminghampost.net ; 8,186 ; 194,788 ; -3.0%
www.dailypost.co.uk ; 7,977 ; 170,151 ; 4.0%
getreading.co.uk ; 7,800 ; 149,721 ; 36.3%
thisisscunthorpe ; 6,206 ; 83,194 ; 24.1%
sundayherald.com ; 5,912 ; 157,494 ;
thejobsmine.co.uk ; 5,131 ; 112,085 ; 36.7%
getsurrey.co.uk ; 4,826 ; 112,990 ; 61.5%
Jobs Now ; 4,812 ; 97,534 ;
stockportexpress.co.uk ; 1,637 ; 36,552 ; -10.5%
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