March ABCs: Quality Sundays suffer year on year

Like the daily quality market, their Sunday siblings suffered a difficult March, all posting large year on year falls. The market-leading Sunday Times was down 10.38% year on year to 1,111,660, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations figures published today. In March the Observer was the biggest yearly faller, down 23.09% to 331,488 copies sold each weekend on average in the first full month since its relaunch. However, the Observer has significantly reduced overseas distribution, from 36,645 in March 2009 to 19,018 last month. The Observer is part of the group that publishes MediaGuardian.co.uk. The Sunday Telegraph was down 11.79% year-on-year. All three papers have stripped bulks out of their circulation, unlike the Independent on Sunday, which was down 8.03% year on year. The Sunday Times Headline circulation: 1,111,660 Month-on-month change: -0.94%. Year-on-year change: -10.38% Full-price circulation: 830,908 (75% of total) Subscription: 125,273 Overseas: 43,421 The Sunday Telegraph Headline circulation: 509,754 Monthly: - 1.26% Yearly: - 11.79% Full-price circulation: 159,968 (31% of total) Subscription: 323,480 Overseas: 23,744 The Observer Headline circulation: 331,488 Monthly: -3.21% Yearly: -23.09% Full-price circulation: 274,649 (82% of total) Subscription: 25,608 Overseas: 19,018 The Independent on Sunday Headline circulation: 154,285 Yearly: -8.03% Monthly: -0.88% Full-price circulation: 66,369 (43% of total) Subscription: 3,949 Overseas: 31,522 Bulks: 50,529 Headline circulation includes subscriptions, bulks – copies sold to airlines, rail companies, hotels and gyms for a nominal fee and given free to the public – and distribution in Ireland and overseas • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".