Latest readership figures reveal 20.8 million Australians read Total News, with broad multi-category engagement.

Fresh readership figures confirm Total News has a firmly engaged audience, serving a consistent and dependable reach for brands and advertisers.

Produced by Roy Morgan, the latest Total News readership figures refer to the 12 months to September 2023 and represent news readership across print and digital formats.

The latest figures show Total News continuing to retain its broad reach across the country, with 20.8 million Australians aged 14+ years consuming news in any given month. Importantly, the figures also illustrate ongoing affinity and trust in Total News as readers across all demographics actively lean into the channel, leading to 68 million interactions per week.

An enviably sticky, affluent audience.

Figures show Australian news readers are consistently engaged across multiple sources of news content to satisfy diverse interests, with 3 in 5 news audiences reading 3 or more categories in addition to general, breaking news content. The most popular categories after General News (94%) are Property (67%), Sport (60%), Lifestyle & Health (57%), Entertainment & Culture (51%), and Business & Finance (47%).

Special interest category news appeals to early adopters, who are at least 20% more likely than the general population to buy new model cars and be aware of the latest financial products.

Further exploration into the attitudes and behaviours of special interest category readers reveals the strength of Total News in engaging audiences which are influential, interested, and ready to buy. More specifically, readers across the top titles within the Auto, Business & Finance and Lifestyle & Health news categories are 20-35% more likely than the general population to have high discretionary spending. And, these readers are also significantly more likely to be very confident in their financial situation (18-28% across these categories).

Vanessa Lyons, Executive General Manager of ThinkNewsBrands adds, “Aussies eagerly embrace news content across all forms and topics, to stay informed, up to date and entertained throughout the day. These latest audience figures reaffirm that Total News is a consistently relevant, dependable, and commercially beneficial media component for brands and advertisers”.

What’s more, 6 in 10 readers are paying to access written news content, recognition of the value readers see in this channel. Paying news readers are 20% more likely than the general population to be homeowners and big spenders. And on average, hold two times the level of wealth compared to the average Australian ($158,000 in savings/investments vs. $70,000).

News serves as a daily companion, with people consuming news anywhere, in any way.

Total News readers are overwhelmingly multi-channel audiences. While there is heavy digital consumption (19.8 million Australians consume news digitally), more than 1 in 2 engage with both printed and digital news in any given month.

When it comes to the time-of-day that consumers read their news, opportunities abound for advertisers. More than half engage with news before midday, with a steady stream of news consumption continuing throughout the day. It is clear Aussies enjoy accessing and connecting to news in a multitude of ways; led by reading (55%), followed by watching and listening.

Total News readership

Overall, Total News continues to demonstrate strong scale and reach, with 20.8 million Australians, or 96% of those aged 14+ years, reading news every month. Furthermore, 16.7 million, or 77% of Aussies, read the news each week; that’s more than common everyday behaviours such as drinking milk, eating fruit and enjoying a coffee.

Demographically, Total News retains eyeballs consistently across all age groups from 14-55+, and significantly, reaches 97% of the highly desirable affluent reader cohort with $150K+ household income.

Readership by demographic and region

Vanessa Lyons emphasises the continued resilience and relevance of Total News in an ever-changing media and market landscape “Marketers and brands continuously seek to deepen their bond and connection with consumers. The latest Total News figures should instil confidence in Australian advertisers that Total News is a lucrative, commercially effective channel for brands to do just that. While the current Australian economic climate remains uncertain and the impacts of global events are unfolding day by day, these figures show that Total News remains a critical element for success in the advertising and consumer engagement toolkit.”

Source: Roy Morgan, All People 14+. All audience data is based on the last 4 weeks averaged over the 12 months to September 2023. Total News is defined as Australians aged 14+ reading news in print and/or news in digital. Digital news includes Australian publishers’ news websites/apps, Apple News, and non-Australian-owned news. It also includes ABC News and Google News. All figures based on Total News definition except category reach which includes Total News Publishing. Total News audience measurement is independently audited by media research specialist auditor Dr Rob Hall from Environmetrics.

About ThinkNewsBrands

Founded by Australian media owners who collectively have more than 100 years of experience producing news, ThinkNewsBrands shines a light on how and why professionally produced premium news content is the best partner for advertisers looking to grow their brands and businesses.