New Zealand Herald readership hits new high, Herald on Sunday cracks 400,000 readers and Kiwis flock to Herald magazines.

News Release 24 June 2021

New Zealand Herald readership hits new high, Herald on Sunday cracks 400,000 readers and Kiwis flock to Herald magazines.

The New Zealand Herald’s journalism is resonating more strongly than ever, with record numbers of Kiwis now turning to the Herald’s newspapers and digital content for trusted, in depth news, sport and entertainment content.

The latest Nielsen insights into New Zealanders’ readership habits show 2.24 million Kiwis are reading the NZ Herald every week, across print and digital.

Nielsen’s data also shows the New Zealand Herald’s daily newspaper readership has continued its 15 months of growth – now at 654,000 readers each day, up 42,000 readers on the last readership release and up 48% on a year ago.

The Weekend Herald increased its print readership by 71,000 to 791,000 – a 19-year high - and the Herald on Sunday added 41,000 readers to 403,000 compared to the previous release. It’s the first time in its 17-year history that the Herald on Sunday has amassed more than 400,000 readers.

“Covid-19 is the biggest news story in the lifetime of so many - and it’s heartening to see so many New Zealanders turning to the Herald, as a trusted news source,” said New Zealand Herald Editor Murray Kirkness.

“Seeking out locally sourced news and analysis continues to be a critical part of New Zealanders’ lives and we are pleased that so many Kiwis trust the New Zealand Herald to deliver,” said Kirkness.

nzherald.co.nz celebrated its 10th consecutive month as New Zealand’s number one digital news website with a unique audience of 1.751 million in May 2021 - up 12,000 on the April number.

NZ Herald Premium continues to grow its subscription base of New Zealanders looking for more in-depth and exclusive coverage, insights and commentary. More than 110,000 Kiwis now access Premium content.

The readership growth also continues across NZME’s regional newspapers with the Northern Advocate, Bay of Plenty Times, Rotorua Daily Post, Hawkes Bay Today and the Whanganui Chronicle together now reaching 300,000 local readers each week.

“These newspapers play a vital role in the communities that they serve and it’s very pleasing to see our local editorial teams being rewarded with readership on the rise,” said Kirkness.

All of The New Zealand Herald’s inserted magazines are also attracting new readers with a growing number of Kiwis making time for lifestyle-focused content on culture, travel, food, health and entertainment.

Nearly 800,000 New Zealanders are now reading Travel, Canvas, TimeOut, Viva, Be Well and Spy each week.

Interest in travel is booming, with the combined audience of Travel and Sunday Travel now at more than half a million readers each week.

“NZME’s recent Lifestyle Survey revealed that over half of New Zealanders are feeling positive about travel in the next 12 months, more than a third of us are exercising more, we’re being more discerning with our spending and above all we’re feeling pretty lucky,” said NZME’s Head of Premium and Magazines Miriyana Alexander.

“That more Kiwis are reading our magazines means our wonderful editors, writers and designers are tapping into that part of Kiwis’ lives where they are purposefully looking for a break from news and current affairs. They’re taking time to focus on the all-important family, social and leisure time,” said Alexander.

In addition to the sheer audience numbers, Nielsen’s latest research and NZME’s Lifestyle survey also reveal the value of NZ Herald readers to commercial partners.

“When readers are taking in a printed copy of a paper, they’re more absorbed in the content and less likely to be consuming other media. That makes our newspapers one of the least ‘distracted’ mediums,” said NZME CEO Michael Boggs.

“We’ve found nearly 40% of Kiwis read their newspaper when they’re taking a break. Also, if they’ve bought a paper, nearly a third of our print audience keep their copy to share with friends and family. Which all means our readers have more time to absorb our great editorial content and spend more time engaging with our valued commercial partners,” said Boggs.

SOURCE: Nielsen CMI Q2 20 – Q1 21 AP15+ *NZME Lifestyle Survey – How We’re Doing March 2021

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Cliff Joiner

GM Communications

New Zealand Media and Entertainment

+64212709995

cliff.joiner@nzme.co.nz