Newspaper Publishing in the UK - Industry Market Research Report

Out of Ink: Newspapers Increasingly Move Online as Print Circulation Continues to Shrink

Over the past decade, the traditional revenue model of UK newspaper publishers has been eradicated by falling demand for print media and considerable declines in advertising revenue. The transformation from print to digital has proved difficult, with publishers still attempting to adapt to the online market. UK newspaper publishers have traditionally had two revenue channels consisting of print advertising and newspaper sales, both of which have contracted over the past five years. As newspaper sales have fallen, advertisers have cut print advertising budgets in favour of digital marketing, which is able to target specific audiences. Furthermore, consumers are proving reluctant to pay for content that is available for free and are increasingly accessing news through social media websites. Consequently, between 2013 and 2020, the average daily circulation of the 10 main national daily newspapers during January fell by approximately 35.2%, according to data provided by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Operators have responded by cutting staff numbers, experimenting with paywalls and introducing free newspapers, but have been unable to halt the decline. The Newspaper Publishing industry consists of businesses that produce articles to publish in print and digital editions. The industry includes advertising newspapers, but does not cover news agencies or anything published fewer than four times a week. This report covers the scope, size, disposition and growth of the industry including the key sensitivities and success factors. Also included are five year industry forecasts, growth rates and an analysis of the industry key players and their market shares.