The Observer and i have proved to be the biggest beneficiaries of the closure of the print editions of the Independent, with sales rising by more than 5% in April.
Guardian Media Group’s Sunday paper boosted sales by 5.32% month on month to 194,054 copies on average in April, according to official Audit Bureau of Circulations figures published on Thursday.
Its circulation is likely to have been boosted by attracting former Independent on Sunday readers.
i, which was sold by Evgeny Lebedev to regional newspaper group Johnston Press for £24m in February, boosted sales by 5.27% month on month in April to 284,434.
New owner Johnston Press had predicted that sales of the i had risen 7% in April to almost 300,000.
The Guardian increased its sales by almost 3% (2.91%) month on month to 169,424, a combination of netting some ex-Indy readers and a boost from scoops such as the Panama Papers revelations.
“Our investigative journalism set the global news agenda and the consequences continue to be felt in numerous governments and institutions,” said Katharine Viner, the Guardian editor-in-chief. “I’m delighted that such groundbreaking and innovative journalism has attracted a huge number of readers.”
There were also strong circulation increases at the daily and Sunday editions of the Times and Telegraph, although the figures were significantly boosted by the addition of a combined 53,000 in new free bulk copies across the four titles between March and April.
The Times improved its circulation by 3.83% month on month, helped by adding almost 11,000 bulk copies in April.
Total bulk copies stand at 66,937, of a total circulation of 436,692. In September last year the Times had just 20,000 bulks in its circulation figures.
Similarly, the Sunday Times increased its circulation by 3.39%, helped by the addition of almost 17,000 new bulks to its circulation last month. Total bulk copies now stand at 63,485, of a total circulation of 797,280. The total bulks are more than six times the 10,000 included in the Sunday TImes circulation last September.
The Daily Telegraph’s circulation grew by 3.52%, helped by the addition of almost 11,000 new bulk copies in April. Total bulk copies now stand at almost 20,000, of a total circulation of 498,474.
Similarly, the Sunday Telegraph grew by 3.04% boosted by almost 14,000 new bulk copies in April. Total bulks are now just short of 24,000, of a total circulation of 370,579.
Richard Desmond’s strategy slashing the price of the Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday has continued to provide strong sales boosts.
The daily edition has seen circulation rise 22% year-on-year in April, and 5.68% month on month, to 513,233.
The Sunday edition grew even more up almost 25% year on year, and 6% month on month, to 316,224.
