Newspaper Innovation

Tabloid The Sun is – by far – still the best read newspaper in the UK with 7.7 million daily readers. Five years ago The Sun dropped below the 8 million, since 2005 readership is gradually declining.

NRS data shows that also the Daily Mail sees readership decline – from 5.5 million in 22005/2006 to 4.8 million in 2010/2011 – but its position as UK’s second paper is not challenged.

Free daily Metro surpassed the Daily Mirror in 2008/2009 although the paper lost readers for the first time in the last survey.

All other papers – except the Evening Standard – lost readers during the last five years. The Standard, after going free in October 2009 doubled its readership and is bound to surpass the Daily Telegraph, currently the fifth paper in the UK. (click for bigger version)

In the May TNS Gallup survey on Danish readership, free daily 24timer for the first time surpasses paid newspaper Jyllands Posten. MetroXpress is still the best-read paper in Denmark before paid paper Politiken (click on graph for bigger version).

Toronto free daily t.o.night reported a readership of 176,000 in April 2011 against 147,000 in 2010. The increase is partly a result of the increased circulation of t.o.night that is now 102,000.

t.o.night started in 2009 with a circulation of 52,000 and increased this to 70 in 2010.

The readership study was by Verified Audit. As it only concerned t.o.night and readership data of other (free and paid) newspapers are not public, little can be said about differences between newspapers.

Contrary to the European trend, newspaper readership in Italy is growing for most major titles in the last years.

La Gazzetta Dello Sport has more readers almost every year, in the last 2011 report by Audipress (april ‘10 – march ‘11) it had more than 4 million readers; a high number for a paper with a circulation of  less than 400,000 (12 readers per copy?). La Repubblica (500,000 copies) has 3.5 million readers while Corriere della Sera (540,000 copies) has 3 million readers.

Free newspapers lost readers in the last years. Leggo now has 1.9 million readers (circulation 1.050,000), City dropped to 1.8 million (850,000 copies) while Metro has 1.5 million readers (850,000 copies). The number of readers per copy (less than 2) seems more realistic for free newspapers. (click for bigger version)

DNews has 280,000 readers – with a claimed circulation of 500,000 this seems somewhat out of sync (circulation is not audited officially).

EPolis is no longer audited because the paper temporary (probably definitely) suspended printing. The paper with 19 editions and a circulation of more than 500,000 was published until July 2010. It was announced that it would resume printing in September but nothing has happened since.

Meanwhile Metro launched two new editions in Sardinia, the home market of EPolis in December 2010.

Total Italian free circulation dropped from 3.9 million halfway 2010 to less than 3.4 million now. Market share of Italian free papers is still around 40%.

Free daily Heute increased its readership with 140,000 to 849,000 in the 2010 readership survey by Media-Analyse. It is still far behind market leader Kronen Zeitung, although this paid paper lost 90,000 readers and now has a readership of 2,764,000. Kronen Zeitung reaches 39% of the Austrian population.

Heute, however, is closing the gap between paid paper Kleine Zeitung (855,000 readers) and is already the best-read paper in Vienna with 542,000 readers against 513,000 for Kronen Zeitung.

Free/paid daily Österreich is the fourth paper in Austria with 680,000 readers, a small increase compared to 2009.

More than 9.2 million Dutch (66.5%) read a newspaper on average in 2010 – slightly less than in 2009 when it was 68.3% (9.4 million). 8.2 million read a paid paper (8.3 million in 2009) while 2.7 million (19.2%) read a free daily (2.8 million and 19.3% in 2009). More than 1 million Dutch (7.6%) only read a free daily.

Free dailies lost some readers in the last year, Metro is the second Dutch paper with 1.7 million readers (12.3%), Spits in third with 1.6 million (11.4%) while De Pers is sixth with 717,000 readers (5.2%).

Paid daily De Telegraaf was the only paper that gained readers when 2010 is compared to 2009.

More than 2.7 million people read French free daily 20 Minutes on an average day. The last 2010 EPIQ research showed that the free daily, owned by Norwegian publisher Schibsted and French media company Sofiouest (Groupe SIPA – Ouest-France) now has 2,759,000 daily readers against 2,675,000 in 2009. Only in 2009 the paper lost readers so far. (click to enlarge)

Also sports paper L’Equipe gained readers (as in every even year when there is a football championship). L’Equipe is third after free daily Metro that lost some readers compared to 2009.

The free “Plus/Direct” papers by local publishers and the Bolleré group is almost overtaking Le Monde (6th) in readership with 1.8 million readers. Bolleré’s Paris evening paper was not included in the 2010 research, the million readers are from the 2009/2010 research.

After losing some readers in the 2010-2 WEMF research, Swiss free daily 20 Minuten is again gaining readership according to the 2011-1 (September 2009 – September 2010) research. Readership increased from 1,315,000 to 1,351,000.

Free afternoon paper Blick am Abend is approaching its paid ‘mother’ paper Blick – it now has 604,000 readers against 623,000 for Blick. Most paid papers lost readers compared to the previous period. (click to enlarge graphs)

In the western, French-speaking part of Switzerland, free daily 20 Minutes lost readers again. Paid paper Le Matin was the only paid paper that gained readers. (Persoenlich)

Metro International, today announced that its pan-European package reaches more high-end consumers every day than any other pan-European media – print or TV, according to the latest EMS survey (“EMS”) released today by market research firm Synovate.

According to the research, Metro PE reaches 3,242,000 affluent consumers and business leaders – or 8.1% of the total EMS population in 16 West European countries, up by 132,000 daily readers compared to last EMS survey, more that other Pan-European brands like the Financial Times, the Economist, Eurosport or MTV.

The Metro PE package includes all Metro newspapers and some free dailies with similar audience and distribution such as 20 Minutos in Spain.

Sports paper Marca is the best-read newspaper in Spain, while free daily 20 Minutos is second.

Paid paper El País is third while free daily Què! is fourth. Free daily ADN is the seventh paper in Spain.

2010 was a ’sports year’ when Spain won the world football championship. Most papers (except for Marca and sports paper AS) lost readers. (click for bigger version)

Periodistas21 reported the last Nielsen rating for the Spanish news webistes.

After the websites of paid newspapers El Mundo, El Paìs and ABC, 20 Minutos is the 4th online newspaper in Spain.

The paper reaches 2.5 million unique visitors per month, which is more or less the same as the paper version of 20 Minutos reaches every day.

The print version of all free papers also lost readers because they cut their circulation in 2010.