Mail on Sunday

The Mail on Sunday recorded the biggest month-on-month decline among Sunday titles

Credit: PA

Sales of the Mail on Sunday fell by more than 150,000 in August, despite a continued circulation boost for Sunday tabloids in the wake of the News of the World closure.

According to the latest ABC figures, the Mail on Sunday remains the biggest-selling Sunday title after the demise of Murdoch's tabloid, but average circulation for the mid-market title fell 7 per cent month-on-month in August to 2,098,244.

The newspaper had an average circulation of 2,255,399 in July, a 16.9 per cent month-on-month hike after picking up former News of the World readers.

Other Sunday tabloids fared better in August. The Daily Star Sunday, which saw a 130 per cent increase in sales in July, increased sales by 5.9 per cent month-on-month to 744,981.

The People, which almost doubled sales in the wake of the News of the World closure, performed the strongest among the Sunday tabloids in August with a 10.6 per cent hike to 892,033.

The Sunday Mirror remained comfortably the the top-selling Sunday red-top, with a 6.4 per cent increase in August to 1,900,460.

Among quality daily titles, the i newspaper sold almost 11,000 more copies last month than sister title the Independent, which it overtook for the first time last month.

The compact title has enjoyed a strong run since its circulation last dipped in April, with average sales up 4 per cent in August to 191,077. The Independent fell 1.3 per cent to 180,470. i overtook its larger sister title for the first time last month, selling 796 more copies.

It was a stable month for quality dailies, with a slight overall increase in sales of 0.2 per cent. The Scotsman saw a 9.2 per cent increase, to 42,581, and fellow Scottish title the Herald enjoyed a 2.9 per cent increase to 48,629.

Elsewhere among the quality titles there were mostly slight month-on-month declines. The Daily Telegraph fell 0.3 per cent to 632,070, the Financial Times 1.4 per cent to 331,883, and the Guardian, which last month removed international editions from is audited figures, fell 3 per cent to 241,287.

The Times saw a 1.9 per cent increase to 449,938.

Popular and mid-market dailies all saw slight declines of less than 1 per cent, the Sun remaining the top seller with an average circulation of 2,795,601.
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