ABCs: Masterchef goes off the boil
The latest results from the Audit Bureau of Circulations are gloomy reading for NewsLifeMedia’s title Masterchef. The print spin-off from the hit cooking show has dropped off by 36.67% compared with the same period last year. The TV show was on air for half of the sales period, which matched the schedule of the 2011 series. Despite this, the sales figures slumped.
Iconic ACP women’s titles Cleo and Cosmo also suffered a significant drop in sales, with Cleo down over 17% and Cosmo falling by just over 16%. Frankie’s star seems slightly on the wane with a growth in circulation of just over 4% a far cry for its market leading jumps of a year ago. Vogue Australia gained a little ground with an increase of 2%.
Dark horse Game Informer, from Citrus Media, enjoyed the biggest growth in magazines, creeping over the 50,000 mark with an startling 29% increase in circulation.
Digital sales:
Despite many publishers’ claims that the decline in print circulation is more than compensated for by the increase in online readers, it’s an unverifiable stance for most titles. Only 25 weekly and monthly magazines have so far submitted their digital sales figures for audit by the CBA. The data has only been captured since January 2012, and is currently voluntary, so as it stands data on most online audiences is unsubstantiated.
The largest of the net paid digital sales, an average figure recorded over the quarter, was achieved by Donna Hay, which picked up just over 6,200 additional digital sales, with a print circulation that fell by only 2.4%, a slight slow on the previous ABC data. Women’s Weekly is attracting an additional 5,963 digital sales per edition, on average.
Gourmet Traveller recorded a fall of 2% in print (-1521 sales), but more than picked up the shortfall with a digital average of 3,306. Australian Men’s Fitness gained 2,583 digital sales as well as a 5.15% increase in print, netting total additional sales of 4262, or more than 10% overall.
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Game Informer’s strength remains that it’s an advertiser-backed magazine, you get it free when you join (at a very low cost) the ‘gaming club’ of a very popular computer games outlet.
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I’m thinking that you are a bit harsh on Frankie in your commentary – a 4% rise is pretty good in this market. It’s also higher than any other fashion title. Frankie now is about 15% ahead of Vogue in circulation. Just a thought.
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have you seen the Frankie masthead? It’s an editorial team of one, producing what every other title has ten people produce. Their circulation is extraordinary.
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Keep in mind Frankie is only bi-monthly and Vogue is monthly so comparing their
circulations isn’t exactly apples to apples. 58k across two months isn’t 51k in one month.
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Good point Jack….. Although there are only a few pages of ads. The games outlet obviously pays a “fee” for it to be produced. Question has to be asked…. Why isn’t this a CAB audited title then? Nice little loop hole in the auditing process that I dare say others will look into and follow on.
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