NEWSPAPER ABC: Sun sales dip below 3m again as NotW takes top spot

The 30p News International-owned daily recorded a circulation of 2,954,298 in February - a fall of 3.99% year on year and down  6.09% from January. The News of The World registered a circulation of 3,019, 928, down 7.97% year on year but a fall of just 0.37% from January.

The Sun, which had previously dropped below the three million barrier in December 2008 and 2007, has battled in recent months with its sister title for the mantle of top selling UK newspaper.

Its main daily rival, the Daily Mirror, was down 11.59% year on year and recorded the highest monthly decline after The Sun, down 2.95%, in the popular sector.

Declines across the daily markets as a whole were roughly the same across the popular and the quality market. around 5% - but mid-market titles the Daily Mail and the Daily Express fared better, dropping on average 3.22%.

The Independent, due to move to the Daily Mail's Kensington headquarters in April, suffered the biggest fall year on year, down 18.41%, to register a circulation of 205,964.  The Independent's sale of bulks - copies sold to hotels, airlines and gyms for a nominal fee and given away to customers - stood at 41,553.

All daily newspapers posted year-on-year declines except for the Daily Star, which was up 7.35% year on year to 780,298. The title, published by Express Newspapers, has been helped by slashing its cover price to 20p in November of last year.

This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk