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11 February 2021

Bauer Media UK Releases Audited Circulation Figures for Full Uninterrupted Period

One in five of Bauer Media UK’s titles experiences year on year growth

Digital circulation has doubled YOY

Garden Answers and Garden News capitalise on the increased interest in gardening with high growth in subscriptions and newsstand sales (YOY)

Trusted TV listings bible TV Choice continues to sell over one million copies each week

Commenting on the July-December 2020 results, Chris Duncan, Bauer Media UK’s CEO of UK Publishing, said:

“These ABC results cover a period of extraordinary disruption for readers and retailers across the UK, during which we have worked tirelessly to produce and distribute great products. Across the Bauer Media UK audited range to have one in five of our titles in year on year growth and the overall portfolio in only single digit decline is something we should be very proud of. We thank our readers for their extra efforts this year to get their hands on our titles despite the restrictions and hope we have played our part in keeping the nation entertained and inspired during this period. We look forward to a strong 2021 performance in all sectors as we get back to normal trading.”

Highlights this period:

TV Listings

  • TV Choice 1,041,826; Total TV Guide 84,030

TV viewing remained high in the second half of 2020 and Britons turned to trusted TV listings bible TV Choice (weekly) for guidance. The title continues to sell over one million copies each week, up 0.2% POP.

  • Total TV Guide (weekly) records an ABC of 84,030, up 0.02% POP with print subscriptions rising by a huge 20.4% POP and 46.2% YOY.

Real-Life

   

Take a Break 369,449; Take a Break Monthly 172,724; that’s life 156,454

  • Take a Break (weekly) sells an impressive 369,449 copies on average every week.
  • Take a Break Monthly delivers another strong ABC figure of 172,724, with print subscriptions up an incredible 312.7% POP.
  • that’s life! (weekly) has continued to perform well and is selling 156,454 copies a week.

Gardening

Garden Answers 58,289; Garden News 39,613; Landscape 37,289; Modern Gardens 25,391

  • Garden Answers (monthly) achieved its 15th consecutive YOY ABC increase to 58,289 average copies circulated, up 14.5% POP and 34.6% YOY. Subscriptions increased to 43,634, up 28.6% POP and 42.7% YOY.
  • Garden News (weekly) also increased ABC to 39,613 average copies circulated, up 4.9% POP and 18.2% YOY.  Subscriptions increased to 17,723, up 18.7% POP and 22.0% YOY.
  • Landscape also saw stellar growth in subscriptions to increase overall average circulation to 37,289, up 25.2% YOY. Subscriptions increased by 79.5% YOY to 23,598
  • Modern Gardens subscription figures are up 51.2% YOY, the title records a total figure of 25,391

 Women’s Weekly Classics

Bella 141,758

  • Bella (weekly) remains number one in the Women’s Weekly Classics market delivering another strong performance, selling an average of 141,758 copies each week, up 3.1% POP.

 Celebrity Weeklies

 

Closer 106,308; heat 73,455

  • Closer (weekly) continues to report a six-figure circulation of 106,308 retaining its position as number two in the celebrity market.
  • Closer saw print subscription growth +12.1% PoP and +39.7% YOY and digital growth of +10.8% POP; +42.0% YOY.
  • heat (weekly) has also benefitted from digital growth, recording +24.1% POP and +86.1% YOY.

Glossies

Grazia, 85,606

  • Grazia (fortnightly) saw significant circulation growth with an ABC figure of 85,606, an increase of +5.6% POP. The title also saw digital growth showing an increase of +52.2% POP and +136.2% YoY.

Maturity

Yours 179,802

  • Yours continues to be the UK’s best-selling fortnightly lifestyle magazine for women over 50, with an average circulation of 179,802 copies per issue.
  • Yours has increased its focus on celebrating kindness and community – supporting and reassuring our readers – who have been some of the hardest hit by the pandemic.
  • Readers loyalty to the brand meant that subscriptions have grown significantly for the title 11.0% up POP and 19.4% YOY. The title has also increased its digital circulation with increases of 9.8% POP and 41.4% YOY.

Music & Film

MOJO, 54,856; Empire, 72,538

  • MOJO continues to lead the market, both in the UK and overseas with a total ABC of 54,856.
  • MOJO has seen huge digital growth up +102.3% YOY with an emphasis on Apple News+ and digital subscriptions.
  • MOJO saw home delivery grow as a channel with a +21.8% YOY increase in print subscriptions.
  • Empire is the biggest circulating film magazine with a total ABC of 72,538, continuing to lead the market both in the UK and overseas territories.
  • Empire has seen huge digital growth up +104.3% YOY.

Motorcycling

MCN 44,421; Bike 31,191; RiDE 24,831; Classic Bike 26,213; Practical Sportsbikes15,637

  • MCN (weekly), the UK’s biggest-selling motorcycling publication maintains its market-leading position delivering a circulation of 44,421. The MCN brand enjoys huge reach among UK motorcyclists together with the motorcyclenews.com website and a nationwide portfolio of events.
  • Bike magazine (monthly) remains the biggest motorcycling monthly with a circulation of 31,191 copies.
  • RiDE remains the biggest-selling modern motorcycle magazine at UK newsstand, with a total circulation of 24,831.
  • Classic Bike remains the top performer in the classic motorcycling market, with a circulation of 26,213.
  • Retaining the number two position in the classic market is Practical Sportsbikes, the ultimate magazine for sportsbike enthusiasts, with a circulation of 15,637.

Motoring

CAR 51,890; Classic Car Weekly 20,340; Classic Cars 27,279; Practical Classics 32,623; LRO 19,723.

  • CAR (monthly) has delivered a strong performance in 2020 with circulation increase of 15.9% to 51,890 copies. Growth has been delivered via a strong print subscription performance +14.5% YOY and accelerated digital growth to over 14,000 copies per issue.
  • Classic Car Weekly (weekly) circulated over 1m copies in total in this period and has delivered a market beating UK newsstand performance YOY.
  • Practical Classics retains its No 2 position within the Classic Car market, circulating 32,623 copies.
  • Classic Cars (monthly) continues to deliver a unique content package for its readers with a circulation of 27,279.
  • Land Rover Owner International (LRO) retains its No 1 position in the 4 x 4 motoring market, circulating 19,723 on average per issue.

Hobbies

Trout & Salmon 18,483; Country Walking 37,972; Bird Watching16,932; Angling Times 18,497; Improve Your Coarse Fishing 17,870; Today’s Golfer 36,898, Trail 17,937; Model Rail 21,631; Steam Railway 31,226; Rail 17,876

  • Trout and Salmon (monthly) magazine has been the voice of Game-Fishing for over 60 years. Significant subscription growth helps the title post a figure of 18,483, up 8.6% YOY.
  • Country Walking (monthly) circulates an average of 37,972 copies per issue. Print subscriptions have grown by 13.7% YOY. Digital growth sees the title post a digital subscription figure of 3,384 delivering 489.5% growth YOY.
  • Trail magazine (monthly) continues to be the UK’s biggest and best-selling hillwalking magazine and has been for over 30 years. Print subscriptions have grown YOY (up 1.2%). Digital growth sees Trail post a digital subscription figure of 2,673 delivering 35.5% growth YOY.
  • Bird Watching (monthly) circulates an average of 16,932 copies per issue, up 9.7% YOY and print subscriptions have grown for the title by 15.5% YOY.
  • Angling Times’ (weekly) print subscription figures are up +4% YOY to 4,705 and the title has seen a 48.0% increase in digital editions.
  • Improve Your Coarse Fishing (monthly) achieved strong growth in subscriptions to 9,138 +9.9% YOY.
  • Today’s Golfer (monthly) print subscription figures have increased 4.7% YOY. The title delivers an ABC figure of 36,898, including a 103.9% increase in digital editions.
  • Digital growth amongst the UK audience sees Model Rail (monthly) post a digital subscription figure of 2,541 a 37.3% increase YOY. Print subscriptions have grown by 3.7% YOY.
  • Rail magazine (monthly) records a figure of 17,876, with digital issues showing a 13.5% YOY increase.

– ENDS –

 

Notes to Editors:

Following UK lockdown restrictions imposed in March 2020 the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) made a number of temporary variations to their Reporting Standards, the most notable being the option for magazine publishers to exclude some issues circulated during the period including lockdown restrictions between March and September 2020 from contributing to topline average issue circulations.

Some publishers who opted out of reporting figures for Jan-Jun-20 in Aug 2020, chose instead a 12 month Jan-Dec-20 return in Feb 2021, moving from a six-monthly to an annual return. This, coupled with COVID-19 exclusions where used, has significant implications for trend reporting, and may make the comparability of some KPIs such as market share, year-on-year and period-on-period comparisons problematic. Magazine publishers who exclude issues circulated during the national lockdown will instead report these issues on a separate COVID-19 certificate. These certificates can only be found on the ABC website and will not be included in the ABC’s Consumer Report or online Data Hub and figures are excluded from trend reporting.

In order to provide full transparency to our buying community Bauer Media UK has not used COVID-19 exclusions, reporting ABCs for the full, uninterrupted Jan-Jun 2020 period which reflected the unique circumstances in which we traded. We will do so again for the full, uninterrupted Jul-Dec 2020 period and continue to be at the forefront of the UK consumer magazine industry, publishing audited circulation figures as a matter of record and providing a complete picture for our commercial partners.

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.

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