NZ Herald celebrates highest brand audience in its 158-year history

AUCKLAND, Thursday: The NZ Herald is celebrating the biggest brand audience in its 158-year history, with 2.26 million Kiwis engaging with its print and digital content each week.

NZME titles now reaches 3.4 million people across its print, digital and audio platforms.

News readership results released by Nielsen today show the Herald reaches 598,000 readers each issue on average, with the Weekend Herald reaching 740,000 and the Herald on Sunday reaching 346,000.

NZME daily newspapers The NZ Herald, Hawke’s Bay Today, Bay of Plenty Times, Rotorua Daily Post, Northern Advocate and Whanganui Chronicle reach 320,000 more people per week than all other daily competitor newspapers combined.

Several of NZME’s regional papers also celebrated growth in readership with the Northern Advocate, Rotorua Daily Post and Whanganui Chronicle all seeing a boost in audience numbers year-on-year.

“Our 300 editorial staff in newsrooms across the country are focused on providing quality, trusted content, and we’re pleased Kiwis continue to support our journalism.”

The Herald’s various food, lifestyle and entertainment magazines also saw increases in reader numbers, with Canvas, Viva, Travel, Spy and BeWell all increasing in readership compared to the last survey.

Quarterly Viva Magazine also saw an increase, up 12,000 readers to 150,000.

NZME managing editor Shayne Currie said: “The readership results top off a stellar week for the company.

“To be celebrating our biggest brand audience in the Herald’s long history is huge for us – it really shows that our digital transformation strategy is delivering results and increasing our brand presence, whilst we also continue to serve our traditional print audiences.

“This is the cherry on top of a fantastic week which has seen NZME win a haul of awards at the Voyagers on Saturday night, the relaunch of the Herald on Sunday, and the release of our half-year financial results that showed growth in profit and revenue.

“NZME’s digital-only subscription numbers also continue to grow, reaching the 100,000 milestone in June.”

“Our 300 editorial staff in newsrooms across the country are focused on providing our readers with quality, trusted content and we’re pleased that Kiwis continue to support our journalism, even after the peak of Covid when news readership and listenership was very high.”

NZME’s digital-only subscription numbers also continue to grow, reaching the significant 100,000 milestone in June, with overall publishing subscriptions (digital and print) now at more than 206,000.

Readership of NZME’s property news and listing destination platform, OneRoof, has grown by 6% year-on-year across both its commercial and residential print platforms, now reaching 368,000 people.

NZME chief executive Michael Boggs says the latest readership survey shows that Kiwis continue to flock to NZME’s multiple platforms for the best journalism and editorial content – be it news, business, sport, lifestyle or entertainment.

“As a business we are now 18 months into our three-year strategy, which is entirely focused on growing our publishing, audio and OneRoof platforms.

“Our digital transformation focus as part of our strategy is clearly paying off, with our brand audience for the Herald at its highest.”