New Zealand Herald print and online readership on the rise

The Herald has increased its average issue readership from 426,000 to 431,000, up 5,000 readers from the previous survey. Photo / Jason Oxenham

The New Zealand Herald's readership - in print and online - continues to rise, with newspaper readership growing for the fourth consecutive survey period and digital audiences at record levels.

The Herald has increased its average issue readership from 426,000 to 431,000, up 5,000 readers from the previous survey, according to Nielsen data released today.

The Weekend Herald readership has been particularly impressive, with 24,000 more people picking up the Saturday newspaper compared to the previous survey. This has also led to impressive growth for the Weekend Herald's two inserted magazines, Canvas and Weekend.

The Herald on Sunday has also gained 8,000 readers, to 316,000 overall - its highest readership since 2014, and has retained its position of best-read Sunday newspaper in New Zealand.

The Herald daily brand audience, which encompasses print and online readership, saw an 8.4% increase of 67,000 readers from a year ago, reaching 869,000 people. The weekly brand audience also rose over this time, with an increase of 88,000 (6.7%) bringing the reach to 1,404,000 readers.

nzherald.co.nz has had a record four months of audience, including a unique audience of 1.82 million people in October. This has led to a 25% increase in audiences overall, year to date.

NZME managing editor Shayne Currie says the increases have come off the back of compelling, engaging journalism and major news events.

"These numbers are fantastic - and are a tribute to the work of the newsroom teams in Auckland and across New Zealand. At all times, we are thinking audience first. These results prove that people are engaging with relevant, quality journalism in our newspapers and through our expanding digital channels, including NZ Herald Focus, NZ Herald Insights, and the overall nzherald.co.nz site."

NZME Chief Commercial Officer Laura Maxwell says the Herald's increased readership strengthens the company's multi-platform offering.

"The Herald is showing strong growth in print and digital readership. Together with our regional print and online titles, and our radio platforms, the Herald is a strong tool in our arsenal. The results show NZME offers advertisers a compelling package of opportunities and platforms to connect with audiences."