On the whole, Canadian magazines are holding the line (and even showing signs of improvement) when it comes to readership despite sea changes to consumer habits in recent years, according to the latest report from the Print Measurement Bureau.
Since 2009, average readership across the 100-plus titles measured by PMB has remained very close to one million. In fact, the PMB 2013 Spring data, released Wednesday morning, show readership at 1.04 million, up slightly from .98 million a year ago. The average readership reached a recent high-water mark of 1.04 million in the fall of 2009.
Similarly, the readers-per-copy average of 5.4 compares favourably to 4.9 a year ago and time spent with those magazines remained unchanged from a year ago at 41 average minutes per issue.
“In a media world that’s often looking for the next great panacea, it comes as no real surprise when we see the rock solid new PMB results,” said Kirby Miller, PMB chairman and senior vice-president and general manager at House & Home Media, in a release. “The metrics of average readership, readers-per-copy and engagement time with the medium are all looking very healthy.”
In terms of individual titles, however, greater swings in readership are visible with three of the top five titles showing drops from a year ago.
Once again, the most read magazine in Canada is Reader’s Digest with a readership of 5.215 million, down from 5.34 million a year ago. Circulation for the title sits at 626,000 down from 707,000 a year ago.
Rounding out the top five:
•Canadian Living has an average readership of 3.832 million, down from 3.892 million;
•Canadian Geographic has an average readership of 3.644 million, up from 3.45 million;
•What’s Cooking has an average readership of 3.583 million, up from 3.332 million; and
•People has an average readership of 3.324 million, down from 3.402 million.
In terms of the newspapers included in the PMB study, the Toronto Star retains the title of most-read paid daily newspaper, though its lead on the opposition shrank from a year ago. The Star enjoyed an average Monday-to-Friday readership of 1.087 million compared to 1.063 million for The Globe and Mail, a difference of just 24,000.
A year ago, the Star averaged 1.145 million compared to The Globe’s 1.06 million, a difference of 85,000.
The National Post’s average Monday-to-Friday readership is 372,000, while free daily Metro enjoyed an average readership of 671,000 in Toronto and 280,000 in Vancouver.
*This story has been updated. The original post said Canadian House & Home was the second most read magazine instead of Canadian Living.
