Research company Roy Morgan has released its readership results for New Zealand’s print newspapers and magazines in 2018.
Michele Levine, chief executive officer for Roy Morgan, says, “The latest Roy Morgan readership figures for New Zealand show strong growth in cross-platform audiences for many of New Zealand’s leading newspapers led by the most widely read newspaper the New Zealand Herald.
“Over 3.1 million New Zealanders now read or access newspapers in an average seven day period via print or online (website or app) equivalent to nearly four-in-five New Zealanders.”
Findings indicate that the majority of New Zealand’s leading newspapers increased their cross-platform audience
New Zealand’s most widely read publication, the New Zealand Herald, consolidated its overall readership with a total cross-platform audience of 1,852,000 in the 12 months to December 2018, up 39,000 on a year ago. It has a readership more than three times as large as Wellington’s Dominion Post on 486,000; Christchurch’s The Press with 351,000’ and national weekly The Sunday Star Times with 328,000 readers.
Although the Herald has maintained a clear pole position amongst New Zealand’s newspapers its cross-platform audience growth of 2.2 per cent over the past year was outpaced by the Waikato Times (+24.1 per cent); the Otago Daily Times (+3.8 per cent); Bay of Plenty Times (+12.9 per cent); Hawke’s Bay Today (+25.7 per cent); and the Northern Advocate (+8.9 per cent).
New Zealand’s most widely read magazine remains driving magazine AA Directions, now with an average issue readership of 472,000 ahead of New Zealand Woman’s Day on a readership of 288,000 and New Zealand Listener on 241,000. Real estate magazine Property Press grew its readership by 7,000 to 121,000 and became one of New Zealand’s top 10 most widely read magazines for the first time.
Other magazines to enjoy a wide level of readership in New Zealand include Australian Women’s Weekly with a readership of 220,000, the TV Guide with a readership of 204,000, New Zealand House & Garden and New Zealand Woman’s Weekly both with a readership of 140,000.
The Weekend New Zealand Herald newspaper inserted magazine Canvas had average issue readership of 315,000 now clearly ahead of Weekend on 237,000 and the Sunday Magazine included in the Sunday Star-Times on 229,000. Following these were Bite on 211,000, Your Weekend on 203,000 and Viva on 202,000.
Levine adds, “Although growth in magazine readership hasn’t been as impressive during this time period over 2.2 million New Zealanders (56.1 per cent) are now reading magazines whether in print or online. This remains a huge existing and valuable audience that advertisers can reach via established and well-known brands.
“In fact the star performer when it comes to magazines over the past year has been the real estate focused Property Press which grew its readership to 121,000 and into the top 10 most widely read magazines in New Zealand for the first time.
“The high readership of Property Press comes at an interesting time for New Zealand’s housing markets as prices in Auckland declined slightly in 2018 although New Zealand’s largest city finished 2018 as the seventh ‘least affordable’ housing market in the world according to an international study by Demographia.”
