Sports magazine’s readership figures off the scale

Press Release Embargoed until: 2 November 2007, 12.00pm

Sports magazine’s readership figures “off the scale”

One of New Zealand’s newest magazines has scored a home run with sports fans, notching up 199,000 readers just nine months after launching.

SKY Sport The Magazine registered the impressive score for readers aged 10 and over in the Neilson Media Research readership survey for the six months to the end of September.

“These figures are off the scale when it comes to sports magazines,” says award-winning journalist and editor Eric Young.

Launched in January, SKY Sport The Magazine deliberately aims high, with a standard of writing and photography that is second-to-none, says Young.

“I’ve always believed that there has been a gap in the market for an intelligent sports read,” he says. SKY Sport The Magazine has filled that gap by publishing finely crafted, thought-provoking articles by writers such as Bryce Courtenay and Greg McGee.

Young gives the example of an article about Andre Agassi by Gary Smith, acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest sports writers. “I’ve probably read that article 20 times, and each time I have failed to finish it with dry eyes.”

Combined with high-quality photography, this made SKY Sport The Magazine a vehicle for sports literature, rather than just sports writing, he says.

By meeting the gap in the market for superior sports writing and photography, SKY Sport The Magazine has exceeded all expectations for readership in its first year, says Fairfax Magazines general manager Lynley Belton.

“With his impressive list of superb contributing writers, Eric Young has produced the magazine that New Zealand’s sports fans had been waiting for, “says Belton.

“SKY Sport The Magazine has raised the bar for New Zealand sports publishing. Its challenge now is to continue meeting the extremely high standards it has set in its first year – which I am confident it will continue to do.”
venture between Fairfax Magazines and SKY Television. It is available through all quality newsagents.

Ends

© Scoop Media