CCAB has released its second quarterly newspaper report, measuring circulation data for 42 paid and non-paid member titles across Canada. The report measures the three-month period ended June 2015.
Two paid titles in Toronto are included, the Toronto Star and Toronto Sun. The Toronto Star has the higher circulation, with a weekday paid average total circulation of 175,411. On Saturdays that number jumps to 278,961 and drops to 192,589 on Sundays. The data marks a drop in circulation since the last quarterly report, which saw the paper posting circulation numbers of 250,609 on weekdays, 352,118 on Saturdays and 266,567 on Sundays.
Andrew Kendall, director of business and customer service at the Toronto Star attributes the drop in circulation to the paper ceasing digital access to the paper in the second quarter of 2015. He says the paid circulation is anticipated to remain lower in the third quarter and then go up again once the tablet edition launches in the fourth quarter of this year.
The Toronto Sun had a weekday paid average total circulation of 88,857 for the three months ended in June. On Saturdays that number drops to 81,441 and on Sundays it jumps to 96,961. Those numbers are also down from the last report when the paper posted average paid circulation of 89,721 on weekdays, 82,624 on Saturdays and 97,778 on Sundays.
Metro had the highest free-daily circulation in Toronto for the period, with an average total weekly circulation of 215,493. Coming in behind it is Sun Media’s 24 Hours, posting an average total weekly circulation of 191,800.Those numbers might shift for the next report as 24 Hours took over the account to distribute its paper inside TTC Gateway Newstand locations from Metro starting in July. Though Greg Lutes, VP and group publisher, Metro English Canada, said at the time of the change that he expects circulation for the free daily to go up 3 to 5% in the Toronto area with its new person-to-person delivery strategy coupled with new boxes outside of the downtown core.
There is a much lower difference in circulation between the two free dailies in Vancouver. Metro has an average weekly circulation of 113,349 and 24 Hours comes in at 112,044.
Outside of Toronto, most major markets only have one title measured by the CCAB. In Montreal, QMI’s Le Journal de Montreal has a paid average weekday circulation of 175,589.
Sun Media’s Ottawa Sun reported a paid average weekday circulation of 26,375.
In Calgary, Sun Media’s Calgary Sun has a paid average weekday circulation of 24,081. The media co’s Edmonton Sun reported a paid average weekday circulation of 27,213.
Correction: An earlier version of this story compared the total average circulation numbers for the latest CCAB report to the paid average circulation numbers from the last report, resulting in incorrect comparisons. The figures have been updated now. MiC regrets the error.
