Sales of The Sun Sunday dropped to an average of just over 2.4 million a week in March, new figures released by ABC show.
The launch edition of the new Sunday title sold just over 3.2 million at the end of February.
March was the first full month that The Sun Sunday has been on sale, and according to ABC it had an average circulation of 2,426,894. This compares with a final ABC circulation figure for the News of the World of 2,667,428 in June 2011 – the month before it was closed.
The new launch is making big in-roads into the gains made by the surviving Sunday redtops in the wake of the demise of the News of the World, helped by the fact that at 50p it is half the price of its rivals.
The Daily Star Sunday dropped 24.5 per cent month on month, the Sunday Mirror was down 30.6 per cent on February and The People plunged 33.8 per cent month on month.
The i was the biggest circulation riser in the national press, mainly due to an increase in bulk give-aways.
The Guardian's paid for sale fell by 16.8 per cent making it one of the biggest fallers, with the FT dropping 16.3 per cent year on year.
Full round-up of national press sales for March 2012 (source ABC)
Name of title: average circulation; % change year on year; % change month on month; number of bulks
National dailies
- Daily Mirror : 1,083,938 ; -6.23 ; -1.71 ; –
- Daily Record : 294,442 ; -5.83 ; 0.90 ; 1,845
- Daily Star : 617,305 ; -11.71 ; 0.04 ; –
- The Sun : 2,614,725 ; -7.21 ; 1.26 ; –
- Daily Express : 558,513 ; -10.01 ; -3.29 ; –
- Daily Mail : 1,952,524 ; -4.28 ; 0.36 ; 118,232
- The Daily Telegraph : 576,378 ; -7.99 ; -0.41 ; –
- Financial Times : 319,381 ; -16.32 ; 0.91 ; 32,013
- The Herald : 45,816 ; -9.49 ; -0.66 ; –
- The Guardian : 217,190 ; -16.82 ; 0.56 ; –
- i : 273,793 ; 59.73 ; 3.54 ; 62,511
- The Independent : 100,672 ; -44.67 ; -4.27 ; 29,630
- The Scotsman : 37,257 ; -10.88 ; -1.26 ; 3,071
- The Times : 394,102 ; -11.66 ; -0.87 ; –
- Racing Post : 58,629 ; -4.80 ; 29.49 ; 137
National Sundays
- Daily Star Sunday : 483,477 ; 64.73 ; -19.30 ; –
- The Sun (Sunday) : 2,426,894 ; n/a ; -24.48 ; –
- Sunday Mail : 332,372 ; -9.17 ; -11.81 ; 682
- Sunday Mirror : 1,106,259 ; 4.06 ; -30.61 ; –
- The People : 463,936 ; -2.90 ; -33.84 ; –
- Sunday Express : 503,985 ; -5.48 ; -11.24 ; –
- Sunday Post : 276,171 ; -11.54 ; -5.30 ; –
- The Mail on Sunday : 1,824,965 ; -3.34 ; -3.05 ; 100,642
- Independent on Sunday : 124,921 ; -18.45 ; 0.53 ; 54,883
- The Observer : 251,074 ; -15.18 ; -0.77 ; –
- Scotland on Sunday : 46,054 ; -18.44 ; -1.94 ; –
- Sunday Herald : 29,479 ; -5.28 ; -4.20 ; –
- The Sunday Telegraph : 451,731 ; -6.27 ; -2.07 ; –
- The Sunday Times : 928,260 ; -10.03 ; -1.19 ; –
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
