AddThis SmartLayers

Trinity Mirror print revenue "volatility" continues

Trinity Mirror says it continues to experience “month on month volatility” in print revenue despite a “strong” growth in digital revenue.

The company’s interim management statement shows a resulting 5pc decline in overall revenue, compared to 2pc in the first half of the year.

The statement, which covers 17 weeks up to 26 October, says there has been an increase in digital revenue by 44pc, while print revenue has declined by 7pc.

Circulation revenue among its titles fell by 3pc over the period, with an ensuing decline in sales volume offset by cover price increases.

In common with usual practice for interim management statements, only percentage changes were given rather than the actual sums by which revenues have gone up or down.

A 100pc rise in average unique monthly users across web, mobile and apps compared to the same period last year was also noted – with 85m people visiting across the three platforms.

Average monthly page views also grew by 93pc to 575m, while the company’s net debt fell by £32m to £24m.

The statement added: “As previously highlighted, we continue to experience month on month volatility in print revenues, in particular within national advertising revenues where trends have deteriorated relative to the first half.

“We expect this trend to continue for the remainder of the year.

“Continued momentum on our strategic initiatives coupled with ongoing cost mitigation and an increase in structural costs savings to at least £12m provides the board with confidence that profit for 2014 is expected to be in line with our previous expectations.”

Simon Fox, chief executive of Trinity Mirror plc, said:”I am pleased with the strategic progress we are making in building the scale and reach of our digital brands.

“At the end of September our group digital audience exceeded 90 million monthly unique users with continued strong growth in digital revenue.

“Despite the recent deterioration in national press advertising trends I remain confident that our strategic initiatives will ultimately deliver sustainable growth in revenues and profits.”

4 comments

You can follow all replies to this entry through the comments feed.
  • November 10, 2014 at 10:46 am
    Permalink

    It would be interesting to see what profit margins they make each for print and for digital.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(0)
  • November 10, 2014 at 11:47 am
    Permalink

    With a focus of the banal ‘Top 10 best WWF Wrestlers’ and less own sourced copy from dwindling staff in the newsroom it’s no surprise. I’ve witnessed my local TM title go from hard-hitting copy to stories about the best Christmas TV adverts ever. It’s all heading towards a Buzz-Feed esque model and this is due to TM’s thirst for web clicks. Nobody clicks stories about a families problem with the council, so they don’t write them anymore. The paper is full of reader-submitted tripe and who want’s to pay for that? Only own-sourced copy and good pro photographs can stop the decline. Unfortunately staffing levels can’t supply this anymore.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(0)
  • November 10, 2014 at 4:09 pm
    Permalink

    Haven’t print revenues ALWAYS been subject to month-on-month ‘volatility’, ie. seasonal variation, for EVERYONE: busy before Christmas, slack in January, up a bit for new car registrations, down a bit for the summer holiday season? Is this news to anyone?

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(0)
  • November 11, 2014 at 4:23 pm
    Permalink

    Circulation revenue down 3pc. Actual sales down 10pc across the board. Cover prices will mitigate for some of the difference. Where have they found the additional income?

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(0)