Over 3.1 million or 80.2% of New Zealanders aged 14+ now read or access newspapers in an average seven-day period via print or online (website or app) platforms.
In addition to this, a total of 2.3 million New Zealanders aged 14+ (59%) read magazines whether in print or online (website or app).
These are the latest findings from the Roy Morgan New Zealand Single Source survey of 6,422 locals aged 14+ over the 12 months to June 2018.
Four of New Zealand’s leading newspapers have 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 1,806,000 in the 12 months to June 2018, up 2,000 on a year ago.
The New Zealand Herald, based in New Zealand’s largest city of Auckland, has a readership more than three times as large as Wellington’s Dominion Post on 500,000 and national weekly The Sunday Star Times with 402,000 readers.
The Herald has maintained a clear pole position amongst New Zealand’s newspapers. Its modest cross-platform audience growth of 0.1% over the past year was outpaced over the past year by the Sunday Star Times (+6.3%), the Otago Daily Times (+4.7%) and the Taranaki Daily News (+14.8%).
AA Directions the most-read magazine in New Zealand
New Zealand’s most widely read magazine remains driving magazine AA Directions – now with an average issue readership of 538,000 New Zealanders, up 31,000 on a year ago.
Other Top 15 New Zealand magazines to grow their average issue readership include New Zealand Listener now with a readership of 268,000, Kia Ora (Air New Zealand) now with a readership of 159,000 and New Zealand House & Garden now with a readership of 149,000.
New Zealand Listener leads total cross-platform audience growth
New Zealand Listener has grown its total cross-platform audience by 19,000, or 7.3%, to 280,000 in the 12 months to June 2018.
However, despite the increase for New Zealand Listener, it is New Zealand Woman’s Day that retains a larger total cross-platform audience of 346,000.
Other leading magazines with strong cross-platform audiences include New Zealand Woman’s Weekly with a cross-platform audience of 216,000, New Zealand House & Garden with a cross-platform audience of 189,000 and National Business Review with a cross-platform audience of 79,000.
Canvas increases readership and is the leading newspaper inserted magazine
New Zealand’s leading newspaper-inserted magazine is the Weekend New Zealand Herald newspaper inserted magazine Canvas with an average issue readership of 315,000 now clearly ahead of the Sunday Magazine included in the Sunday Star-Times on 268,000.
Behind these two market leaders are Weekend on 238,000, Your Weekend on 221,000 and rounding out the Top 5 is Bite on 207,000.
Canvas, which increased its readership by 8,000 over the last year, and Your Weekend, which increased its readership by 2,000 over the last year, were the only leading newspaper inserted magazines to grow their readership over the past year though neither outpaced New Zealand’s population growth.
