February 19, 2018updated 20 Feb 2023 10:59am

TV, film and music magazine ABCs: Soaplife picks up largest circulation growth as Total Film and Empire both report double-figure decline

Time UK’s Soaplife magazine saw sales climb by 9 per cent to 42,200 in second half of last year, one of only two titles covering either TV, film or music to record growth over the period

The magazine, which features the latest news and gossip about TV soaps and their stars, has gone from a fortnightly to a weekly following “popular demand”.

The first weekly edition was published on 10 February this year, 14 years after it was relaunched in 2004 backed by a £500,000 investment.

Its rival Inside Soap saw sales fall by 7 per cent, although it continues to publish 96,012 copies according to figures for the six-month period.

Among the largest losers year-on-year were music magazine Metal Hammer (down 14 per cent) and film magazines Total Film (down 15 per cent) and Empire (down 11 per cent).

TV Times also recorded a double-figure drop in year-on-year circulation figures to 180,768.

Time UK’s Uncut was the only other title to boost sales, climbing by 1 per cent over the 12 months of 2017 to 43,804.

ABC circulation figures for TV, film and music interest magazines covering six-months to the end of December 2017 (of full year where shown):

Publication	ABC Total	Year-on-year % change ABC Total	UK/ROI % Actively Purchased	Months in period
TV Choice	1,188,558	-3%	100%	6
What’s on TV	895,925	-5%	100%	6
Radio Times	631,960	-8%	100%	6
NME	289,432	-6%	1%	6
TV Times	180,768	-10%	100%	6
Empire	109,654	-11%	96%	12
TV & Satellite Week	108,807	-9%	100%	6
Inside Soap	96,012	-7%	100%	6
Total TV Guide	94,209	-4%	100%	6
Mojo	62,779	-7%	95%	12
Uncut	43,804	1%	100%	12
Classic Rock	42,236	-9%	100%	12
Soaplife	42,200	9%	100%	6
Total Film	38,791	-15%	99%	12
Q	37,073	-7%	93%	12
Metal Hammer	17,567	-14%	100%	12