Print Advertising Statistics 2026: Newspaper, Magazine and Direct Mail Data
Print advertising is still shrinking by roughly 10% a year at the largest newspaper publishers. USA TODAY Co. earned $475.2 million from print ads in 2025, down 9.6%, and its print ad revenue fell another 11.2% in the first half of 2026. The New York Times Company's print ad revenue fell 11.1% in Q2 2026 while its digital ads grew 20.7%. In the UK, print newspapers and magazines took about £705.6 million in 2025, about 1.5% of all ad spend, by our calculation from AA/WARC data. In Japan, newspaper ad spend fell 8.2% to ¥313.6 billion, according to Dentsu.
Key statistics
- USA TODAY Co. print advertising revenue fell 9.6% in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from USA TODAY Co. data.
- USA TODAY Co. print advertising revenue fell 11.2% year on year in the first half of 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from USA TODAY Co. data.
- The New York Times Company print advertising revenue fell 11.1% to $35.2 million in Q2 2026, according to its second-quarter results.
- Print newspapers and magazines took about 1.5% of UK advertising investment in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Advertising Association and WARC data.
- Advertisers in Japan spent ¥313.6 billion on newspaper advertising in 2025, 8.2% less than in 2024, according to Dentsu.
Print advertising revenue statistics
No free, current source counts total US print advertising revenue. The best public data comes from the annual and quarterly filings of the biggest newspaper publishers. These figures cover one company each, so they show the trend, not the size of the market.
USA TODAY Co., formerly Gannett, is the largest US newspaper group by print advertising in these filings. It earned $475.2 million from print ads in 2025, down 9.6%. The fall did not slow in 2026. Print ad revenue was down 11.2% in the first half and 10.8% in Q2. The company blames fewer local display ads and inserts, lower classified spend and the sale of some businesses.
The New York Times held up better in 2025. Print ad revenue fell only 5.4% to $155.4 million. Fewer column-inch ads ran, down 8.8%, but the average print rate rose 3.7%. That cushion has gone in 2026. Print ad revenue fell 11.1% in Q2 and 10.5% in the first half.
Smaller local groups are falling fastest. Lee Enterprises lost 15.1% of its print ad revenue in fiscal 2025, partly because a cyber incident limited print capacity for several months. Together, USA TODAY Co., The New York Times Company and Lee earned $699.8 million from print ads in 2025, 9.3% less than in 2024.
-
USA TODAY Co. earned $475.2 million from print advertising in 2025, down from $525.8 million in 2024, according to its 2025 annual report.
-
USA TODAY Co. print advertising revenue fell 9.6% in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from USA TODAY Co. data.
How we calculated it: ($475.229m / $525.800m - 1) x 100 = -9.6%. Consolidated print advertising, 2025 vs 2024.
-
The USA TODAY Media segment earned $402.9 million from US print advertising in 2025, down 11% on 2024, according to USA TODAY Co.
-
Newsquest, the UK arm of USA TODAY Co., earned $72.3 million from print advertising in 2025, down 3% on 2024, according to USA TODAY Co.
-
USA TODAY Co. earned $219.7 million from print advertising in the first half of 2026, against $247.5 million a year earlier, according to its Q2 2026 10-Q.
-
USA TODAY Co. print advertising revenue fell 11.2% year on year in the first half of 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from USA TODAY Co. data.
How we calculated it: ($219.699m in H1 2026 / $247.468m in H1 2025 - 1) x 100 = -11.2%.
-
USA TODAY Co. print advertising revenue fell 10.8% year on year to $111.3 million in Q2 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from USA TODAY Co. data.
How we calculated it: ($111.312m in Q2 2026 / $124.840m in Q2 2025 - 1) x 100 = -10.8%.
-
The New York Times Company earned $155.4 million from print advertising in 2025, down 5.4% on 2024, according to its 2025 annual report.
-
The New York Times Company print advertising revenue fell 11.1% to $35.2 million in Q2 2026, according to its second-quarter results.
-
The New York Times Company earned $68.7 million from print advertising in the first half of 2026, down 10.5% year on year, according to the company.
-
Revenue from column-inch print ads at The New York Times fell 8.8% in 2025 while its print advertising rate rose 3.7%, according to The New York Times Company.
-
Lee Enterprises earned $69.2 million from print advertising in fiscal 2025, down 15.1% on fiscal 2024, according to its 2025 annual report.
-
News Corp News Media advertising revenue fell 2% to $804 million in fiscal 2026, mainly because of lower print advertising, according to News Corp.
-
USA TODAY Co., The New York Times Company and Lee Enterprises earned $699.8 million from print advertising combined in 2025, down 9.3%, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from company filings.
How we calculated it: $475.229m (USA TODAY Co.) + $155.359m (NYT) + $69.168m (Lee) = $699.8m. 2024: $525.800m + $164.219m + $81.488m = $771.5m. Change -9.3%. Lee uses a September fiscal year.
| Publisher | Period | Print ad revenue | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA TODAY Co. (US and UK) | 2025 | $475.2m | -9.6% | 10-K, Feb 2026 |
| USA TODAY Co. (US and UK) | H1 2026 | $219.7m | -11.2% | 10-Q, Aug 2026 |
| The New York Times Company | 2025 | $155.4m | -5.4% | 10-K, Feb 2026 |
| The New York Times Company | H1 2026 | $68.7m | -10.5% | 8-K, Aug 2026 |
| Lee Enterprises | Fiscal 2025 | $69.2m | -15.1% | 10-K, Nov 2025 |
| Reach plc (UK) | H1 2026 | £24.6m | -11.1% | Half-year results, Jul 2026 |
Newspaper advertising revenue by year
The three US publishers that split print and digital ad revenue in their filings give a three-year view. All three are lower in 2025 than in 2023.
Over two years, USA TODAY Co. lost 17.6% of its print ad revenue and The New York Times Company lost 17.1%. Lee lost 45.0%, close to half. Lee's 2024 fall of 35.2% was the steepest single year in this set.
Pew Research Center's newspaper fact sheet, the usual source for an industry total, stops at 2022 data. Until a newer industry estimate is free to read, company filings are the most current guide to the US market.
- USA TODAY Co.
- The New York Times Company
- Lee Enterprises
Source: company Form 10-K filings.
-
USA TODAY Co. print advertising revenue was 17.6% lower in 2025 than in 2023, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from USA TODAY Co. data.
How we calculated it: ($475.229m in 2025 / $576.545m in 2023 - 1) x 100 = -17.6%.
-
The New York Times Company print advertising revenue was 17.1% lower in 2025 than in 2023, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from New York Times Company data.
How we calculated it: ($155.359m in 2025 / $187.462m in 2023 - 1) x 100 = -17.1%.
-
Lee Enterprises print advertising revenue fell 45.0% between fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Lee Enterprises data.
How we calculated it: ($69.168m in fiscal 2025 / $125.804m in fiscal 2023 - 1) x 100 = -45.0%.
| Publisher | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA TODAY Co. | 576.5 | 525.8 | 475.2 |
| The New York Times Company | 187.5 | 164.2 | 155.4 |
| Lee Enterprises (fiscal year) | 125.8 | 81.5 | 69.2 |
Print vs digital advertising spend
Each publisher defines digital advertising in its own way. USA TODAY Co. reports digital marketing services separately, so we compare print only with its digital advertising line.
USA TODAY Co. is the odd one out. Print still made up 57.4% of its print and digital ad revenue in 2025, and 57.8% in the first half of 2026. Print is falling, but its digital advertising is also falling, by 6.2% in the first half of 2026. So the print share is drifting down slowly, not collapsing. On current trends there is no clear year when digital overtakes print there.
At The New York Times the switch happened long ago. Print was 27.4% of ad revenue in 2025, down from 37.1% in 2023. The company earned $2.64 from digital ads for each $1 from print. In Q2 2026 the growth gap between the two was 31.8 points.
Lee sits in between, with digital at 72.7% of its advertising and marketing services revenue. In Japan, internet advertising passed half of all ad spend for the first time in 2025. For the wider shift online, see our digital advertising statistics.
-
USA TODAY Co. digital advertising revenue fell 6.2% year on year to $160.6 million in the first half of 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from USA TODAY Co. data.
How we calculated it: ($160.645m in H1 2026 / $171.252m in H1 2025 - 1) x 100 = -6.2%.
-
The New York Times Company earned $2.64 from digital advertising for every $1 from print advertising in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from New York Times Company data.
How we calculated it: Digital advertising $410.634m / print advertising $155.359m = 2.64.
-
The New York Times Company digital advertising grew 31.8 points faster than print advertising in Q2 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from New York Times Company data.
How we calculated it: Digital advertising +20.7% minus print advertising -11.1% = 31.8 percentage points, Q2 2026 vs Q2 2025.
| Publisher | Period | Print share | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA TODAY Co. | 2025 | 57.4% | Print / (print + digital advertising), our calculation |
| USA TODAY Co. | H1 2026 | 57.8% | Print / (print + digital advertising), our calculation |
| The New York Times Company | 2025 | 27.4% | Print / total advertising, company figure |
| Lee Enterprises | Fiscal 2025 | 27.3% | 100% minus digital share of 72.7% |
UK news brand and magazine ad spend
The Advertising Association and WARC publish UK ad spend for national news brands, regional news brands and magazine brands, with an online line for each. Print is the total minus online, which we calculate.
UK print newspapers and magazines took about £705.6 million of ad money in 2025, by our calculation. That is about 1.5% of the £46.7 billion UK market. Print is now less than half of what news and magazine brands earn from advertising, at about 45.5%.
The print decline is steeper than the headline numbers suggest. National news brands fell 4.6% in total, but our estimate for their print ads is a fall of about 8.0%, because online held almost flat. Print magazine ads fell about 11.1%.
The first quarter of 2026 brought no turnaround. The total UK ad market grew 9.3% while national news brands fell 3.7%, magazine brands 5.7% and regional news brands 9.7%. AA/WARC cut its 2026 forecast for regional news brands from -2.0% to -4.8%. At Reach, a UK national and regional publisher, print ad revenue fell 14.8% in 2025 and 11.1% in the first half of 2026.
Source: Advertising Association and WARC, UK advertising investment Q1 2026 release.
-
UK advertisers spent £695.2 million with national news brands in 2025, down 4.6% on 2024, according to the Advertising Association and WARC.
-
UK advertisers spent £411.9 million with regional news brands in 2025, down 6.0% on 2024, according to the Advertising Association and WARC.
-
UK advertisers spent £445.2 million with magazine brands in 2025, down 5.1% on 2024, according to the Advertising Association and WARC.
-
UK national newspapers took about £349.8 million of print advertising in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Advertising Association and WARC data.
How we calculated it: National news brands £695.2m minus "of which online" £345.4m = £349.8m.
-
UK regional newspapers took about £168.9 million of print advertising in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Advertising Association and WARC data.
How we calculated it: Regional news brands £411.9m minus "of which online" £243.0m = £168.9m.
-
UK print magazines took about £186.9 million of advertising in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Advertising Association and WARC data.
How we calculated it: Magazine brands £445.2m minus "of which online" £258.3m = £186.9m.
-
UK national newspaper print advertising fell about 8.0% in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Advertising Association and WARC data.
How we calculated it: 2024 total = £695.2m / 0.954 = £728.7m. 2024 online = £345.4m / 0.991 = £348.5m. 2024 print = £380.2m. 2025 print £349.8m / £380.2m - 1 = -8.0%. Rounded inputs, so treat as approximate.
-
UK print magazine advertising fell about 11.1% in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Advertising Association and WARC data.
How we calculated it: 2024 total = £445.2m / 0.949 = £469.1m. 2024 online = £258.3m / 0.998 = £258.8m. 2024 print = £210.3m. 2025 print £186.9m / £210.3m - 1 = -11.1%. Approximate.
-
UK national news brand ad spend fell 3.7% year on year in Q1 2026 while the total UK ad market grew 9.3%, according to the Advertising Association and WARC.
-
UK regional news brand ad spend fell 9.7% year on year in Q1 2026, according to the Advertising Association and WARC.
-
UK magazine brand ad spend fell 5.7% year on year in Q1 2026, while online magazine ad spend grew 2.9%, according to the Advertising Association and WARC.
-
UK regional news brand ad spend is forecast to fall 4.8% in 2026, according to the Advertising Association and WARC July 2026 forecast.
-
AA/WARC cut its 2026 forecast for UK regional news brand ad spend by 2.8 points between April and July 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Advertising Association and WARC data.
How we calculated it: July 2026 forecast -4.8% minus April 2026 forecast -2.0% = -2.8 percentage points. April figure from the AA/WARC 2025 full-year release.
-
Reach plc print advertising revenue fell 14.8% to £55.8 million in 2025, according to its full-year results.
-
Reach plc print advertising revenue fell 11.1% to £24.6 million in the first half of 2026, according to its half-year results.
| Channel | Total 2025 | Online 2025 | Print 2025 (calculated) | Total change 2025 | Q1 2026 change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National news brands | 695.2 | 345.4 | 349.8 | -4.6% | -3.7% |
| Regional news brands | 411.9 | 243.0 | 168.9 | -6.0% | -9.7% |
| Magazine brands | 445.2 | 258.3 | 186.9 | -5.1% | -5.7% |
Direct mail and print advertising in Japan
Direct mail is the largest print channel in the UK ad figures. Japan has a free, annual breakdown of newspaper, magazine, insert and direct mail spend.
In the UK, direct mail took £966.9 million in 2025, 1.37 times as much as print newspapers and magazines combined. It grew 7.9% in Q1 2026, while every news and magazine line fell. Our direct mail marketing statistics page covers volumes and response rates.
Japan shows print falling inside a growing market. Total ad spend rose 5.1% to a record ¥8,062.3 billion in 2025. Newspaper ads fell 8.2% to ¥313.6 billion and magazine ads fell 3.7%. Together they took 5.3% of the total. Unlike in the UK, direct mail also fell in Japan, by 5.4%.
-
UK advertisers spent £966.9 million on direct mail in 2025, up 0.3% on 2024, according to the Advertising Association and WARC.
-
UK direct mail took 1.37 times as much ad money as print newspapers and magazines combined in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Advertising Association and WARC data.
How we calculated it: Direct mail £966.9m / print news and magazine brands £705.6m = 1.37.
-
UK direct mail ad spend grew 7.9% year on year in Q1 2026, according to the Advertising Association and WARC.
-
Advertisers in Japan spent ¥313.6 billion on newspaper advertising in 2025, 8.2% less than in 2024, according to Dentsu.
-
Advertisers in Japan spent ¥113.5 billion on magazine advertising in 2025, 3.7% less than in 2024, according to Dentsu.
-
Internet advertising in Japan was 9.5 times newspaper and magazine advertising combined in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Dentsu data.
How we calculated it: Internet ¥4,045.9bn / (newspapers ¥313.6bn + magazines ¥113.5bn = ¥427.1bn) = 9.5.
-
Advertisers in Japan spent ¥235.4 billion on flyers and newspaper inserts in 2025, down 3.6% on 2024, according to Dentsu.
-
Advertisers in Japan spent ¥270.8 billion on direct mail in 2025, 5.4% less than in 2024, according to Dentsu.
| Medium | 2025 spend | Change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Newspapers | ¥313.6bn | -8.2% |
| Direct mail | ¥270.8bn | -5.4% |
| Flyers and inserts | ¥235.4bn | -3.6% |
| Magazines | ¥113.5bn | -3.7% |
Print circulation statistics
Print ads follow print readers. Publishers' filings show how fast paid print copies are falling.
Circulation volumes are falling faster than revenue because publishers keep raising cover prices. Reach's print volumes fell 19% in 2025 and 22% in the first half of 2026, but circulation revenue fell only 3.4% and 6.6%. The New York Times has about 550,000 print subscribers, by our calculation, down 5.2% in a year, yet its print subscription revenue fell only 3.2% in 2025.
Fewer copies means less reach for print advertisers, which is the main reason print ad revenue keeps falling. For other offline channels, see our TV advertising statistics.
-
The New York Times had about 550,000 print subscribers at the end of Q2 2026, down 5.2% in a year, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from New York Times Company data.
How we calculated it: Total subscribers 13,350k minus digital-only subscribers 12,800k = 550k (Q2 2026). Q2 2025: 11,880k - 11,300k = 580k. Change -5.2%. Company figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.
-
The New York Times Company earned $516.4 million from print subscriptions in 2025, down 3.2% on 2024, according to its 2025 annual report.
-
USA TODAY Co. print circulation revenue fell 12.3% to $570.4 million in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from USA TODAY Co. data.
How we calculated it: ($570.383m in 2025 / $650.047m in 2024 - 1) x 100 = -12.3%. Consolidated print circulation.
-
Lee Enterprises print subscription revenue fell 16.9% to $164.2 million in fiscal 2025, according to Lee.
-
Reach plc print circulation volumes fell 19% in 2025, according to its full-year results.
-
Reach plc print circulation volumes fell 22% year on year in the first half of 2026, according to its half-year results.
How these sources measure print advertising
The sources on this page count different things, so compare trends, not totals.
Company filings report revenue the publisher earned, after discounts. Each company sets its own line between print and digital. USA TODAY Co. includes its UK arm, Newsquest, in the consolidated totals and reports digital marketing services separately. The New York Times Company reports worldwide figures. Lee uses a fiscal year ending in late September. News Corp does not split print and digital advertising.
AA/WARC measures UK ad spend after negotiated discounts and before agency commission, excluding production costs. It reports news and magazine brands with an online line, so print is our calculation of total minus online. Our 2024 print estimates divide 2025 figures by the reported growth rates, so they carry rounding error of a few tenths of a point.
Dentsu estimates Japanese ad spend each year. Since 2018 it counts digital ads sold by newspaper and magazine companies as internet advertising, so its newspaper and magazine lines are close to print only. We could not fetch Ofcom's 2026 news consumption slides in this update, so print readership surveys are not included.
Frequently asked questions
How much is spent on print advertising in 2026?
No free source gives a current total for the US. USA TODAY Co. earned $219.7 million from print ads in the first half of 2026 and The New York Times Company $68.7 million. In the UK, print newspapers and magazines took about £705.6 million in 2025, by our calculation from AA/WARC data.
Is print advertising declining?
Yes. Print ad revenue fell 11.2% at USA TODAY Co. and 10.5% at The New York Times Company in the first half of 2026. UK regional news brand ad spend fell 9.7% in Q1 2026. Japan's newspaper ad spend fell 8.2% in 2025.
How did print advertising change compared with last year?
USA TODAY Co., The New York Times Company and Lee Enterprises together earned $699.8 million from print ads in 2025, down 9.3% on 2024. Reach plc's UK print ad revenue fell 14.8% in 2025.
Why is print advertising falling?
Fewer people buy print copies. Reach's circulation volumes fell 22% in the first half of 2026. USA TODAY Co. points to fewer local display ads, inserts and classifieds. At The New York Times, revenue from column-inch ads fell 8.8% in 2025, though rates rose 3.7%.
What is the forecast for print advertising?
AA/WARC forecasts UK national news brands down 1.7%, magazine brands down 3.2% and regional news brands down 4.8% in 2026. It expects direct mail to grow 2.9%. These forecasts include online revenue for news and magazine brands.
Is print advertising bigger in the UK or Japan?
In 2025, Japan's newspapers and magazines took ¥427.1 billion, 5.3% of all ad spend. UK print newspapers and magazines took about 1.5% of ad spend, by our calculations from Dentsu and AA/WARC data.
Sources
- USA TODAY Co., Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2025, 26 February 2026, accessed 27 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- USA TODAY Co., Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 30 June 2026, 6 August 2026, accessed 27 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- The New York Times Company, Second-quarter 2026 results (8-K Ex. 99.1), 5 August 2026, accessed 27 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Advertising Association and WARC, AA/WARC updates Advertising Expenditure Report and records £46.7bn media investment in 2025, 30 April 2026, accessed 27 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Dentsu, 2025 Japan Advertising Expenditures Analysis, 5 March 2026, accessed 27 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- The New York Times Company, Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2025, 27 February 2026, accessed 27 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Lee Enterprises, Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 28 September 2025, 26 November 2025, accessed 27 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- News Corp, Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 30 June 2026, 7 August 2026, accessed 27 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Dentsu, 2025 Advertising Expenditures in Japan, 5 March 2026, accessed 27 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Advertising Association and WARC, UK advertising investment rises 9.3% to £11.7bn in Q1 2026, 30 July 2026, accessed 27 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Reach plc, Full Year Results, year ended 31 December 2025, 3 March 2026, accessed 27 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Reach plc, Half Year Results, 6 months ended 30 June 2026, 22 July 2026, accessed 27 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
Changes to this page
- : Page published with 2025 10-K filings and 2026 quarterly results from USA TODAY Co., The New York Times Company, Lee Enterprises and News Corp, Reach plc results, AA/WARC April and July 2026 releases and Dentsu's 2025 Japan data.