New Zealand Herald audience numbers continue to break new ground

Media Release: 12pm 4 March 2021

New Zealand Herald audience numbers continue to break new ground

The NZ Herald’s weekly brand readership has surged past the magic 2 million mark – and readership of the Weekend Herald newspaper alone is now at an 18-year high.

The extraordinary news events of the past 12 months have seen audiences turn to the NZ Herald - and its informative, trusted and quality journalism - in record numbers online and in print.

The latest news readership insights released by Nielsen show more than 2.1 million New Zealanders engage with the New Zealand Herald each week.

The daily NZ Herald print newspaper readership is now at 612,000 – a 35% year-on-year increase and now at its highest in 17 years. The Weekend Herald’s readership of 720,000 is at an 18-year high.

nzherald.co.nz is also on a high – it’s now spent six consecutive months as the number-one news website in New Zealand, cementing this position with almost 1.9 million unique browsers for the month of January.*

And NZ Herald Premium digital subscriptions continue to grow, totalling more than 102,000, including 53,000 paid digital-only subscribers.

Nielsen NZ Readership highlights at a glance:

• NZ Herald weekly brand audience has surged past 2 million for the first time, up 174,000 (vs last period)
• NZ Herald daily brand audience is 1.3 million up 123,000 (vs last period)
• NZ Herald average daily print readership has increased 35% year on year to 612,000
• The Weekend Herald readership is 720,000 – an 18-year high
• More than one million Kiwis now read the NZ Herald in print alone across the week
• NZME regional newspapers have increased readership by 26% (vs same time last year)
• The NZ Herald reaches 8,000 more readers in the Waikato region than the Waikato Times
• Combined Travel readership has grown to 488,000, Canvas has grown to 346,000, Viva has grown to 267,000

“With the incredible uncertainty and disruption created during 2020, New Zealanders sought news and information from trusted sources in which they can have confidence. We’re delighted so many Kiwis choose to put that trust in our journalism,” New Zealand Herald editor Murray Kirkness said. 

 “It’s also been pleasing to see continuing growth in the number of young people connecting with our journalism. In a typical week, the number of Kiwis aged between 18 and 29 reading NZ Herald content has grown by 69,000 to 224,000. This reinforces a trend we noticed last year, as younger audiences sought out news and information from credible and trusted organisations,” Kirkness said.

The Nielsen research also reveals year-on-year growth in the readership of New Zealand Media and Entertainment’s regional newspapers The Northern Advocate, Bay of Plenty Times, Rotorua Daily Post, Hawke’s Bay Today, and Whanganui Chronicle.

“Last year showed the growing engagement New Zealanders have in local journalism and story-telling produced from within their communities. Our editorial teams continually work hard to earn the trust of Kiwis and as New Zealand’s Herald we remain accountable for every story we print, post and publish,” said NZME CEO Michael Boggs.

While readers seek news and information, they’re also engaging with New Zealand Herald’s lifestyle and entertainment content in growing numbers.

“All of our inserted magazine such as Canvas, TimeOut, Viva and our Travel magazines have grown their readership year on year, showing Kiwis appreciate quality content that gives them a break, the chance to relax and to think about other things in life other than news. The New Zealand Herald motoring platform, Driven, and its property sections, OneRoof Herald Homes and Commercial property are also up,” Boggs said.

“Property remains a real focus for New Zealanders, as the popularity of NZME’s real estate platform OneRoof shows. Through the New Zealand Herald, Weekend Herald and Herald on Sunday, OneRoof’s print edition now reaches 346,000 New Zealanders across the week, up 26% year on year. Along with the oneroof.co.nz monthly digital audience of 483,000*, OneRoof is fast becoming New Zealand’s complete property destination. OneRoof now also has 89% of New Zealand’s residential for-sale real estate listings,” said Boggs.

“By any measure 2020 was an incredibly challenging year for all New Zealanders. The reward for all of us at NZME across our digital, print and audio platforms is the ever-growing engagement we have with Kiwis wherever they are in New Zealand and the trust they put in us to keep them informed and connected.”

 ENDS.

 Source: Nielsen CMI Q1 20 – Q4 20, Base: All People 15+

*Source: Nielsen Online Ratings Jan 2021

For further information:

CLIFF JOINER

GM COMMUNICATIONS

New Zealand Media and Entertainment

M:  +64­ 212709995

E:  cliff.joiner@nzme.co.nz