March 9, 2012updated 13 Sep 2012 9:07pm

First official figures give The Sun Sunday 3.2m circ

ABC today released the first official figures for The Sun Sunday – showing a launch circulation of 3,213,613 for the new title.

In its final month before it was closed the News of the World had an average monthly circulation of 2,667,428.

The Sun produced just one edition in the February audit period. The official ABC figure is slightly lower than the 3,260,000 copies quoted by Rupert Murdoch last month.

News of the launch triggered a short-lived tabloid price war after The Sun dropped the price of its Saturday edition to 50p and gave the Sunday paper a 50p cover price. In response The People, Sunday Mirror and Daily Star Sunday all slashed their price to 50p, though the Trinity titles have since returned to £1.

Sales of The Sun Sunday outsripped its Sunday tabloid rivals, with the Sunday Mirror on 1,594,293 (up 44.1 per cent year on year), The People selling 701,246 (up 43.6 per cent) and the the Daily Star Sunday on 599,078 (up 93.1 per cent).

With impact of The Sun Sunday just felt on the last weekend of the month it is too early to say how it will impact on rival titles.

Meanwhile, the i was up 50.5 per cent to 264,432 and its sister title The Independent was down 42.3 per cent to 105,160, due largely to the transfer of bulk copies last year.
Every other daily title lost circulation year on year, with The Guardian down 17.8 per cent to 215,988 and the FT down 16.4 per cent.

Full UK national press circulation breakdown for February (source: ABC)

Name of title, average sale, percentage change year on year (percentage change month on month), bulks

Dailies