• Bauer Media is the UK’s biggest-selling magazine publisher once again, circulating 120m copies in the last 12 months and 16 market-leading positions
• 1 in 3 magazines sold in the UK during 2021 were published by Bauer Media UK
• 21 (58%) of Bauer Media UK’s titles show YOY growth
• Subscriptions continue to soar with digital subscriptions up 64.6%
• CAR overtakes Top Gear for the first time to become the biggest title in the Automotive market
• Grazia records POP and YOY increases with digital copies up 71.6% YOY
• MOJO turns up the volume with 22.9% ABC increase over the past year
• Gardening titles maintain popularity as Modern Gardens and Garden Answers record 44.0% and 16.7% YOY increases respectively
• Country Walking records huge 29.7% YOY increase
• TV Choice continues to sell over one million copies each week

Commenting on the July-December 2021 results, Chris Duncan, Bauer Media UK’s CEO of UK Publishing, said:

“We’re delighted with such a strong set of results and the performance of subscriptions and digital editions across Bauer titles. We continue to be the number one choice for audiences in many different categories in both monthly and weekly, mass market and specialist.

Thanks to all of the teams who have worked so hard to make this possible, and to all of the retailers and advertisers who support us. We are proud to lead the sector, not least in our proven commitment to transparency around our circulation performance.”

Highlights this period:

TV Listings:

TV Choice 1,016,951; Total TV Guide 78,502

• Trusted TV listings bible TV Choice (weekly) remains the UK’s No 1 selling title, selling over one million copies each week.
• Total TV Guide (weekly) records an ABC of 78,502 average copies circulated each week. Subscriptions are up 11.4% YOY to 14,143.

Real Life

Take a Break 325,850; Take a Break Monthly 160,987; that’s life! 138,277

• Take a Break (weekly) remains the UK’s best-selling women’s weekly magazine, with 325,850 copies circulated each week.
• Take a Break Monthly records an ABC of 160,987 average copies circulated each month, with UK paid single copies up 1.3% POP. Subscriptions are up 59.6% YOY to 8,300.
• that’s life! (weekly) remains second in the Real Life market, with 138,277 copies circulated each week.

Women’s Weekly Classics

Bella 131,314

• Bella (weekly) remains the stalwart leader in the Women’s Weekly Classics market with growth of 2.8% POP.
• Bella saw double digit digital growth with subscriptions up 20.2% POP and 25.6% YOY.

Celebrity Weeklies

Closer 101,322; heat 71,863

• Closer (weekly) retains its position as number two in the celebrity market recording 4.0% POP growth and a digital growth of 38.5% POP.
• Closer saw a total subscription increase of 39.9% YOY – a strong result driven by its outstanding digital subscriptions performance which delivered 59.6% growth YOY.
• heat (weekly) saw growth of 2.6% POP and enjoyed a stellar performance with impressive digital growth of 38.3% POP and 97.6% YOY.

Glossies

Grazia, 92,061

• Grazia is celebrating a circulation growth with an ABC figure of 92,061, an increase of 6.5% POP and 7.5% YOY. Grazia also built on its digital growth showing an increase of 71.6% YOY.
• Grazia continues to demonstrate influence and build on its position as a brand that campaigns for causes relevant to its readers. An amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill against ‘Rough Sex’ defence became law following a petition started by Grazia in conjunction with campaign group We Can’t Consent to This, which was signed by 68,000 Grazia readers.

Maturity

Yours 161,841

• Yours continues to be the UK’s best-selling fortnightly lifestyle magazine for women over 50, with an average circulation of 161,841 copies per issue.
• Readers continue to show loyalty and embrace digital subscriptions which have grown by 7.1% YOY.

Music & Film

Empire (monthly), 74,947

• Empire is the biggest circulating film magazine with a total ABC of 74,947, continuing to lead the market both in the UK and overseas circulation.
• Empire has seen digital growth up 28.1% YOY.
• Empire has significantly grown its circulation, up 21.8% YOY

MOJO (monthly) 67,435

• MOJO continues to lead the market, both in the UK and overseas with a total ABC of 67,435, up 22.9% YOY.
• MOJO continues to experience digital growth, up 45.8% YOY and recently published Bauer’s first audio story on Apple News+.
• MOJO has experienced growth of 24.0% YOY in overseas circulation

Sport

Today’s Golfer (monthly) 43,099: up 16.8% YOY

• ABC increase up 16.8% YOY with 43,099 average copies circulated. Total subscriptions increased to 31,821.

Angling Times & Improve Your Coarse Fishing – Coarse Market Success:  AT 19,726: up 6.6% YOY and IYCF ABC 19,353: up 8.3% YOY; Trout & Salmon ABC 18,219

• Improve Your Coarse Fishing (monthly) has an ABC increase up 8.3% YOY with 19,353 combined ABC. Total subscriptions increased to 10,851.
• Angling Times (weekly) continued to deliver the favourite fishing stories every week resulting in an ABC increase is of 6.6% YOY with 19,726 combined ABC. Total subscriptions increased to 6,339.
• Trout and Salmon (monthly) continues to be the voice of Game-Fishing and has been for over 60 years.

Gardening

• Modern Gardens (monthly) – 36,563: up 44.0% YOY

ABC increase up 44.0% YOY with 36,563 average copies circulated. Total subscriptions increased to 21,511 up 137.3% YOY.

• Garden Answers (monthly) – 68,020: up 16.7% YOY

ABC increase up 16.7% YOY with 68,020. Total subscriptions increased to 58,091, up 33.1% YOY/5.3% POP.

• Landscape 43,591: up 16.9% YOY

ABC increase up 16.9% YOY with 43,591 average copies circulated. Total subscriptions increased to 29,925, up 26.8% YOY.

• Garden News (weekly) ABC 34,883

Garden News is Britain’s most trusted voice in gardening with practical and informative advice features from experts, including Carol Klein.

Outdoor and Hobbies

Country Walking (monthly) 49,250: up 29.7% YOY

• Country Walking celebrates its largest ABC growth along with another highly successful #walk1000miles, a campaign that continues to motivate more people than ever before to change their lives one step at a time. ABC increase up 29.7% YOY with 49,250 combined ABC. Total subscriptions increased to 43,511, up 34.3% YOY.

Trail (monthly) 21,161: up 18.0% YOY

• As well as being Britain’s biggest and best-selling hillwalking magazine, Trail is building the brand digitally by transforming its website into the most trusted source of gear reviews for outdoor enthusiasts. ABC increase up 18.0% YOY with 21,161 combined ABC. Total subscriptions increased to 15, 787 up 27.0% YOY.

Bird Watching (monthly) 20,727: up 22.4% YOY

• ABC increase up 22.4% YOY with 20,726 combined ABC. Total subscriptions increased to 17,403 up 26.6% YOY.

Steam Railway (print, monthly) 30,045: up 0.48% YOY

• Total ABC 31,426, up 0.6% YOY.

Model Rail (monthly) ABC 20,945

• Model Rail has seen success with total subscriptions increasing to 12,857 and continues to be packed full of the latest new model reviews, expert ‘how to’ projects and inspirational layouts.

Motorcycling

MCN 44,377; Bike 35,029; RiDE 26,315; Classic Bike 27,680; Practical Sportsbikes 18,648

• MCN (weekly) remains the market leader delivering a total circulation of 44,377. As well as increasing its number of subscriptions (8.2% YOY), MCN has seen significant digital growth of 36.0% YOY. The MCN brand enjoys huge reach among UK motorcyclists together with the motorcyclenews.com website and a nationwide portfolio of events.
• With increases in overseas circulation (22.7%), subscriptions (17.9%) and digital circulation (43.8%), the monthly Bike magazine cements its position as the UK’s biggest monthly motorcycling magazine, delivering a total circulation of 35,029, an increase of 12.3% YOY.
• RiDE (monthly) remains the biggest-selling monthly modern motorcycle magazine at UK newsstand, with a total circulation of 26,315, an increase of 6.0% YOY.
• The UK’s number one classic motorcycling magazine, Classic Bike (monthly) has delivered a 5.6% increase YOY, bringing its total circulation to 27,680. Classic Bike has achieved UK newsstand growth of 4.3%, overseas growth of 16.2% and subscriptions growth of 3.4% YOY.
• Practical Sportsbikes delivers an impressive 19.3% YOY increase to retain the number two position in the monthly classic motorcycling market with a total circulation of 18,648. Overseas circulation has grown by 52.1% YOY and Practical Sportsbikes releases its first digital circulation figure of 3,178 copies.

Motoring

CAR 62,427; Classic Car Weekly 20,171; Classic Cars 33,213; Practical Classics 35,107; LRO 19,874

• Iconic CAR magazine continues to go from strength to strength with great motoring journalism to deliver an impressive 20.3% YOY increase, with a total circulation of 62,427 copies, overtaking its closest rival to become the biggest circulating motoring magazine. During 2021, CAR has grown its digital circulation by 50.4% YOY, with 8% YOY growth in overseas circulation and 25.4% YOY in subscriptions.
• Classic Car Weekly sold over 1 million copies during 2021, with a total average circulation of 20,171, seeing YOY growth in both subscriptions (14.3%) and digital circulation (30.0%).
• Increasing its total circulation by 21.8% to 33,213, Classic Cars (monthly) has seen UK newsstand growth of 6.3% YOY, overseas growth of 22.8% YOY, digital growth of 35.9% YOY and the number of subscriptions has increased by 31.5% YOY.
• Practical Classics (13 issues per year) delivers a 7.6% increase YOY to 35,107 copies to retain its number two position within the Classic Motoring market. Practical Classics has also seen growth in overseas circulation (12.0% YOY), subscriptions (13.7% YOY) and digital circulation (10.9%).
• Land Rover Owner International (LRO) (13 issues per year) reports a circulation of 19,874. LRO has seen overseas circulation growth of 16.3% YOY and 34.7% increase in digital circulation YOY.

RAIL (fortnightly), 17,087

• RAIL is the voice of the rail industry – and is held in such high esteem, it is the only title in the industry the Department of Transport subscribes to. The market-leading modern railway magazine brings its audience independent and in-depth news and analysis, as well as unrivalled opinion and insight. The brand also has an outstanding event portfolio, running some of the most well-respected events in the industry.

– ENDS –

For more info:

Jess Blake, Communications Director, UK Publishing

E: jess.blake@bauermedia.co.uk

M: 07739 516345

 Odelia Yu, Senior Commercial Communications Executive
E: odelia.yu@bauermedia.co.uk

M: 07896 235588

About Bauer Media UK:

Bauer Media UK reaches over 25 million UK consumers through a portfolio of world-class, multi-platform media and entertainment brands including heat, KISS, Grazia, Empire, Magic, Absolute Radio and the Hits Radio Brand Network. These brands offer commercial partners access to highly engaged audiences, with creative solutions underpinned by insight and instinct. Bauer Media UK is part of the Bauer Media Group, one of the world’s largest privately owned media businesses with media assets all over the globe.