Newspaper Publishing in New Zealand - Industry Market Research Report

Out of print: Digital media's rising popularity has shredded industry revenue

The Newspaper Publishing industry has changed significantly, as publishers have faced strong competition from new media platforms, which have changed how consumers access news content. Circulation numbers and readership among major metropolitan and regional newspapers have declined, which has reduced print advertising revenue for newspaper publishers. Although publishers have grown their digital revenue streams over the past five years, companies such as Facebook and Google have dominated the online advertising market, limiting digital revenue. Increased digital revenue has been insufficient to offset the large decrease in print revenue. This decline in advertising revenue was exacerbated in 2020-21 as the pandemic saw business confidence plummet. Industry revenue is expected to fall at an annualised 9.0% over the five years through 2021-22, to $551.8 million. However, this trend includes an anticipated rise of 1.3% in the current year, as rising consumer and business sentiment boost advertising revenue.

Industry players publish newspapers for distribution in New Zealand. The industry includes firms that publish online newspapers to complement their print publications. The industry excludes firms that only publish content online.

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.