Mixed fortunes for DWM and DWA as new circulation figures publishedBookmark and Share

Friday, 15 August 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
The latest circulation figures for Doctor Who Magazine and Doctor Who Adventures show both publications suffering a drop in sales for the first half of this year, although DWM can take comfort from recording a year-on-year rise.

The new Audit Bureau of Circulations figures cover the January to June 2014 period, and during that time DWM saw its total average net circulation fall to 33,538 per issue - down by 2,613 and 7.2 per cent on the previous six months. On the plus side for the Panini publication, it was still a year-on-year rise of 5.8 per cent. The figure is for both print and digital copies.

DWA, however, has suffered particularly badly. The fortnightly mag from Immediate Media Co fell just below the 20,000 mark, posting a total average net circulation of 19,966 per issue for the first six months of this year, equating to a drop of 8,477 and a slump of 29.8 per cent. Year-on-year, this represented a fall of 18.5 per cent. The figure is for print copies only. Although the publication is also available as a download, zero digital sales have been recorded.

In a statement, DWM editor Tom Spilsbury said:
We're delighted with our new ABC figure. After the last period was boosted with the incredible sales of our 50th-anniversary edition, which sold over 50,000 copies alone, we were bracing ourselves for a fall. We thought that we might be down to under 30,000 for the first six months of 2014, which comparatively were always going to be a quiet period. However, for us to be up year-on-year is a stunning achievement, especially when you consider that during the January-June 2013 sales period we also had eight new TV episodes to help bolster sales of the magazine.

The magazine industry is continuing to find times very tough, with the overall market experiencing declines. However, we're pleased to see our digital sales on the increase, as well as subscription levels - so the future is looking very bright for DWM! I'm sure we'll be able to build on these figures for the next sales period, when we'll have the benefit of a brand-new Doctor getting his era under way!

Congratulations to all of DWM's hard-working contributors, and many thanks to all our loyal readers.

There has been no statement as yet from DWA.

For detailed breakdowns of the new figures, click on the relevant links in the table below.

 Jul-Dec 2009Jan-Jun 2010Jul-Dec 2010Jan-Jun 2011Jul-Dec 2011Jan-Jun 2012Jul-Dec 2012Jan-Jun 2013Jul-Dec 2013Jan-Jun 2014
Doctor Who Magazine29,00035,374 (+22%)33,554 (-5.1%)30,682 (-8.6%)30,614 (-0.2%)27,089 (-11.5%)28,743 (+6.1%)31,692 (+10.3%)36,151 (+14.1%)33,538 (-7.2%)
Doctor Who Adventures44,66453,559 (+20%)56,648 (+5.8%)50,013 (-11.7%)48,470 (-3.1%)31,903 (-34.2%)31,935 (+0.1%)24,497 (-23.3%)28,443 (+16.1%)19,966 (-29.8%)

(All figures are from the Audit Bureau of Circulations apart from the Jul-Dec 2009 figure for DWM, which is an estimate provided by DWM and included for comparison purposes. ABC figures for DWM only started being calculated in 2010. Percentages shown are the change on the previous six months.)

The circulation figures for July to December 2014 are due to be published in February 2015.

UPDATE - 18th AUGUST 2014: DWA today gave Doctor Who News the following statement regarding the latest circulation figure.

Consultant publisher Jaynie Bye said:
A sales dip during an extended period when the show is off air is no surprise for Doctor Who Adventures. We are really excited about the new series this month and have planned an amazing range of fantastic new content. We have some fantastic new ideas for the new-look magazine to ensure that Doctor Who Adventures remains THE destination for young fans keen to extend their interest in the series.
Meanwhile, editor Moray Laing said:
We've redecorated! It's an exciting time having a brand-new series and a brand-new Doctor – so we wanted a new look for the magazine too. I'm really pleased with how this all looks, and sure our readers will like it too.




FILTER: - DWM - Magazines