NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the six-month period ending March 31, 2012, The New York Times saw strong circulation growth according to the just released Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) report. Total average circulation, which includes total print and total digital, was 1,586,757 for Monday–Friday and 2,003,247 for Sunday.
The gains in total average circulation over the same period one year ago were 73% for Monday-Friday and 50% for Sunday. These gains can largely be attributed to the popularity of The Times’s digital subscription packages, which launched in the United States on March 28, 2011 and also to new ABC rules on reporting digital circulation.
For the ABC reporting period, total average digital circulation for Monday-Friday was 807,026 and for Sunday it was 737,408. This category of circulation includes all paid and verified digital subscription copies as well as paid subscriptions to replica editions and e-readers including Amazon’s Kindle and the Barnes & Noble NOOK.
The Times saw significant growth in non-replica paid and verified circulation, which is illustrative of the way in which Times subscribers access content across platforms. These averages include and reflect the daily usage of multiple digital platforms by subscribers.
Additionally, for the six-month period ending March 31, 2012, total average print circulation for The New York Times for Monday-Friday was 779,731 and total average print circulation for Sunday was 1,265,839. These figures represent modest declines; -4.5% for Monday-Friday and -1.1% on Sunday, when compared to the same period last year.
However, the inclusion of free all digital access with every print subscription to The Times continues to prove its value in acquisition and retention efforts as Sunday home delivery circulation continues to grow. Sunday home delivery grew by nearly 2% in this latest reporting period, the largest gain in more than five years. And, the group of core print subscribers (subscribers for 2 years or more) to The Times remains a robust 845,000.
Scott Heekin-Canedy, president and general manager, The New York Times said, “This latest ABC statement illustrates the great strength of the overall New York Times brand and our strong performance in the period is a tribute to the success of our digital subscription strategy. In addition, we believe that the new ABC rules have allowed us to offer a true reflection of the actual cross platform usage of our products by our highly engaged group of paid subscribers.”
About The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading global, multimedia news and information company with 2011 revenues of $2.3 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, NYTimes.com, BostonGlobe.com, Boston.com, About.com and related properties. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.
This press release can be downloaded from www.nytco.com