ENDURING RELEVANCE OF MAGAZINES CONFIRMED AS IMMEDIATE POSTS THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF CIRCULATION GROWTH

Published: 17 Feb 2022

• Immediate records 5% combined circulation growth illustrating continued demand for special interest content.
• Annual print increase of 4% maintaining growth seen during the pandemic.
• Total circulation further accelerated by 14% growth in digital editions as demand increases across multiple platforms.
• Immediate brands maintain loyal consumer base with 1.2m subscribers.
• Immediate brands increase consumer loyalty with 9.3% growth in subscribers

Immediate Media Co, the special interest content and platform company, has recorded its third consecutive year-on-year circulation growth for its market-leading titles, confirming the continued resurgence of demand for special interest magazine brands.

Immediate posted a combined print and digital circulation of 2,508,680 July to December 2021, up 5% year-on-year, it also continues to be the UK’s leading publisher for subscriptions with 1.2m subscribers*, up 9.3% year-on-year.

Immediate’s results underline strong consumer demand for content that helps people get the most from doing the things they love.

Across the key verticals in which it operates, Immediate consolidated its market-leading positions, including:

• Youth and Children’s: up 8.75% year-on-year
• Gardening: BBC Gardeners’ World combined circulation up by 14%
• Food brands including BBC Good Food: flat year-on-year circulation of 299,548 defying post lockdown trends
• History: BBC History Magazine up 3.1% year-on-year.

Tom Bureau, Immediate Executive Chairman, says: “These are a fantastic set of results. That we’ve continued to grow our reach in print as restrictions have been eased illustrates the enduring popularity of our trusted market-leading brands. And it demonstrates the success of our strategic focus on quality content, helping our audiences get more from the things the love, whether that be gardening, cooking or bringing to life the latest big TV hit. The strong performance across our print portfolio, both on the newsstand and on subscriptions, combined with double-digit growth in our digital business and the return of our live events last year, has helped us celebrate our 10^thanniversary in style, with our best-ever financial results.”

Ends

Detailed Highlights:

• Immediate’s combined print and digital circulation of 2,508,680, up 4.6% year-on-year.
• Print circulation was 2,345,101, up 4% year-on-year.
• Digital circulation was 163,579, up 13.5% year-on-year, and 110% period-on-period.
• Immediate is the number one publisher in the UK for subscriptions with 1.2m subscribers, up 9.3% year-on-year.

BBC Gardeners’ World magazine

Another very strong year as the nation’s passion for gardening continues. BBC Gardeners’ World magazine posted a combined circulation of 258,126, up 14% year-on-year. In the last year subscriptions to BBC Gardeners’ World magazine have increased by 24.6%.

Catriona Bolger, BBC Gardeners’ World Managing Director, says: “Already a market leader, BBC Gardeners’ World goes from strength-to-strength, growing 14% year-on-year to reach a circulation of over 258,126 copies. Our editor, Lucy Hall, was recognised by the BSME’s earlier this month, describing her as ‘an editor for our times’ and the results she and her team have achieved are testament to that. The UK is becoming ever-more a nation of gardening fans and BBC Gardeners’ World is there for everyone who shares that passion.”

Radio Times

The UK’s best-selling quality magazine, posted a combined circulation of 480,938, up 4.3% period on period. Radio Times continues to be the best-selling weekly UK magazine brand by subscription, with 272,988 subscribers, up 3.3% year-on-year.

Zoe Helme, Radio Times Publishing Director, comments: “Radio Times has achieved another set of outstanding results. As the brand approaches its 100^th birthday next year, it proves it’s as relevant today as it has ever been. Every week Radio Times offers its audiences exclusive interviews and photoshoots, access to the biggest stars in the business, and invaluable guidance as to the best of entertainment, across TV, streaming, film and radio.”

Immediate retains its position as the leading food media publisher in the UK

• BBC Good Food posted a combined circulation of 200,687, up 3.2% period on period, 0.3% year-on-year. BBC Good Food magazine subscriptions increased by 9.7% year-on-year to 143,592.
• BBC Good Food Home Cooking series rose by 27.6% period-on-period, and 14.6% year-on-year, with a combined circulation of 27,414.
• olive magazine’s circulation rose to 42,175 up 3.9% year-on-year.
• Easy Cook’s combined circulation was 29,272, up 16.6% period-on-period and 10.3% year-on-year.

Alex White, BBC Good Food Managing Director, says: “BBC Good Food is the UK’s number one food media brand and continues its outstanding growth year on year. A combination of brilliant editorial focus and commercial incisiveness makes BBC Good Food a must-read for everyone who loves preparing, cooking and eating food. olive magazine’s successful year on year growth is testament to the passion it shares for effortlessly stylish food and drink, whether eating in or out, at home or abroad.”

Youth and Children’s
Immediate’s market-leading Youth and Children’s portfolio continue its strong growth, with a combined circulation 944,635, up 8.75% year-on-year.

Stand-out performances include:

• Andy’s Amazing Adventures Magazine, circulation of 43,742, up 27% year-on-year
• Pokémon with a circulation of 52,912 up 21.8% year-on-year
• Disney Stars with a circulation of 26,247 and year-on-year growth of 18.5%
• LEGO Superhero Legends with a circulation of 43,427 and year-on-year growth of 25.6%
• MEGA with a circulation of 32,027 up 8.2% year-on-year.

Pauline Cooke, Managing Director, Youth and Children’s said: “Our growth across the portfolio shows we are giving our audience exactly what they want. We have some of the biggest brands in the market and continue to deliver engaging content, education, activities and most of all fun.“

History

BBC History Magazine posted an increase of 3.1% year-on-year and a combined circulation of 92,687.

Jemima Dixon, Commercial Director, IM History Group, said: “BBC History Magazine’s growth over the past year demonstrates people’s passion for the past is as strong as ever, and new readers are also attracted to our insightful editorial and in-depth features that shine a light on UK and world history.”

Specialist

Immediate’s Bristol based specialist business has posted a strong set of results.

• Gardens Illustrated combined circulation is up an impressive 16.7% year-on-year with a combined circulation of 49,146.
• BBC Science Focus and BBC Sky at Night have also reported healthy increases each securing 11% year-on-year growth. BBC Science Focus posted a combined circulation of 50,142 and BBC Sky at Night 23,082.
• Mountain Biking UK’s circulation continues to rise, boosted by the growing interest in cycling over the last 18 months, reporting an increase of 8.7% with a combined circulation of 23,322.

* Includes print and digital editions of Immediate Media Co brands, and BBC Top Gear Magazine, published under licence for BBC Studios, plus titles not audited in this period.

For more information:
Natasha Lee
Senior PR Manager, Immediate Media
natasha.lee@immediate.co.uk

About Immediate Media Co: 
Immediate Media Co is the special interest content and platform company, home to over 1,000 people across three business units. We own and operate some of the best-loved brands in the UK. And we only focus on special interest markets, engaging over 75 million people globally each month, with world-class content, innovative new products and services and live events. 

Immediate operates over 70 consumer brands and sells over 39 million magazines each year. With over 1.2 million active subscribers, we are the UK’s leading publisher by subscribers. Immediate is the market leader in many of the sectors we operate in, including food, gardening and children’s publishing. 

Our wholly-owned brands include Radio Times, olive, Girl Talk, Homes & Antiques, Cycling Plus, Bike Radar, MadeForMums, and Mollie Makes. We publish BBC Good Food, BBC History Magazine, BBC Gardeners’ World magazine, BBC Science Focus and the CBeebies portfolio, under licence from BBC Studios, BBC Top Gear on behalf of BBC Studios and children’s titles for LEGO and Disney.   

Immediate Live, our live events business, is the UK’s leading organiser of unmissable consumer events.  We create premium events and experiences that connect and inspire our audiences, including BBC Gardeners’ World Live, the Good Food Show, London Art Fair, The Cycle Show, Move It, The Festival of Quilts and the Hampton Court Food Festival. 

In the last year, Immediate has won over 27 industry awards, including Digital Consumer Publisher of the Year at the 2021 AOP Awards. In January 2022, Immediate was named the UK’s 4^th best place to work in the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards 2022 and was the highest ranked media company in the list confirming its position as the leading employer in the sector.