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July 19, 2018

National newspaper ABCs: Free Metro tops circulation figures again but Sun still UK’s best-selling newspaper + web figures

By Charlotte Tobitt

Free daily the Metro is the UK’s most widely distributed newspaper, topping circulation figures for the third time this year, but the Sun remains Britain’s best-selling newspaper.

The Metro gave away 1,474,383 copies in June according to ABC figures published today. It was down 0.38 per cent year-on-year – the smallest fall of any national title last month.

Grant Woodthorpe, executive director for investment at Mail Metro Media, said: “June was another great performance for Metro and we are delighted to maintain our position as the largest distributed newspaper in the country.

“Extending the lead ahead of our nearest competitor is testament to the great product we put out every weekday morning to engage our young professional audience.”

The Sun fell 7.61 per cent year-on-year to a circulation of 1,451,584.

After the Metro, the publications seeing the smallest year-on-year print declines were the free Evening Standard, down 2.31 per cent to 886,328 and the Financial Times, down 5.03 per cent to 183,319.

The Daily Telegraph has had the biggest year-on-year change, down 23.43 per cent to a circulation of 370,613, but attributes this to its decision to stop selling bulk copies in January.

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The Times fell 6.62 per cent year-on-year to 428,034.

UK national newspaper print circulation figures for June 2018 (source: ABC):

Publication Total circulation June 2018 Year-on-year % change Bulks
Metro FREE 1,474,383 -0.38
The Sun 1,451,584 -7.61 118,222
Daily Mail 1,264,810 -12.19
The Sun on Sunday 1,224,119 -8.98 118,217
The Mail on Sunday 1,056,916 -14.55
London Evening Standard FREE 886,328 -2.31
The Sunday Times 721,808 -8.87 84,468
Daily Mirror 562,523 -12.21
Sunday Mirror 475,976 -14.36
The Times 428,034 -6.62 91,218
The Daily Telegraph 370,613 -23.43
Daily Star 364,448 -14.48
Daily Express 338,575 -11.24
Sunday Express 295,294 -10.12
The Sunday Telegraph 288,484 -18.86
i 248,234 -8.4 59,598
Daily Star – Sunday 220,684 -11.81
Sunday People 183,784 -18.19
Financial Times 183,319 -5.03 30,865
The Observer 166,317 -13.78
The Guardian 138,082 -13.16
Sunday Mail 131,716 -14.15
Daily Record 125,366 -13.97
Sunday Post 115,973 -14.57 738
City AM FREE 85,848 -5.97

UK news websites daily average unique browsers (source: ABC):

Website Daily Avg. Unique Browsers (June 2018) Year-on-year % change
Mail Online 12,622,077 -18.07
Reach digital (formerly Trinity Mirror) 8,976,593 -11.31
The Sun 5,410,691 2.44
Metro 1,689,148 -36.89

Picture: Reuters/Peter Nicholls 

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