Metro Canada Reaches 1.4 Million Daily Readers

2009/10 readership results confirm Metro Canada's position as Canada's most-read and fastest growing national daily newspaper

TORONTO, Oct 6 /CNW/ - With Autumn in full swing and temperatures cooling down, Metro Canada continues to heat up and gain momentum.  Metro Canada's readership continues to grow, making it the most read national daily newspaper in Canada, according to results released today by the Newspaper Audience Databank (NADbank).         

Metro Canada now reaches 1,363,700 daily and 2,905,100 weekly readers coast to coast in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.  In comparison to NADbank 2008/09 results, this represents an increase of 179,700 readers, or 15 per cent daily and 334,400, or 13 per cent weekly readers.  In fact, Metro Canada reaches more adults age 18+ than the Globe and Mail and National Post combined.*

"Continuous innovation is the driving force behind Metro's success. New columnists, increased coverage of news that matters, enhanced distribution strategies and creative marketing initiatives have all played a role in Metro's growth in 7 of the top cities in Canada. And with our redesign and content improvements implemented in June, we fully anticipate continuous growth well into the future" said Bill McDonald, Group Publisher for Metro English Canada.

Highlights from Metro Canada's publication readership results compared to 2008/09 include:

• Metro Halifax daily readership has increased 20 per cent to 56,700 readers. Weekly readership has increased 14 per cent to 149,500 readers.
• Nearly half of Haligonians read Metro with a 45 per cent weekly reach.
• Metro Montreal daily readership is up 5 per cent to 338,400 readers. Weekly readership is up by 9 per cent to 688,800 readers.
• Metro Montreal maintains its position as the #1 read French language newspaper on the Island of Montreal.
• Metro Ottawa had the 2^nd highest market increase of any paper in the Ottawa market, where daily readership is up 22 per cent to 82,800 readers.
• Metro Toronto continues to reach more than a half million readers daily and more than a million weekly, the highest per cent growth of any daily newspaper, making it the fastest growing daily newspaper in Toronto.
• Metro Toronto's readership in the Toronto CMA increased by 22 per cent to 555,800 daily readers.
• Metro Toronto reaches more readers in the City of Toronto than the Sun & 24 hours combined.
• City of Toronto readership increased to 421,000 from 338,900 daily readers.
• Metro Calgary daily readership is up 39 per cent to 81,100 and weekly is up 34 per cent to 197,300 -- the highest increase of any daily newspaper in Canada and fastest growth in the market.
• Metro Edmonton daily readership increased 34 per cent to 68,800 and weekly increased 24 per cent to 170,900 readers.
• Metro Edmonton is the only newspaper in the market to increase in daily readership.
• Metro Edmonton has more than twice the reach of 24 Hours daily.
• Metro Vancouver continues to hold a strong position in the market, with a daily readership of 180,100 and weekly readership of 436,400 readers.
• 23 per cent of Vancouverites read Metro weekly.

SOURCE: NADbank 2009/10; Halifax CMA, Montreal CMA, Ottawa-Gatineau CMA, Toronto CMA, Calgary CMA, Edmonton CMA, Vancouver CMA;  weekly refers to 5-day CUME, daily refers to "read yesterday" ; *National Post and Globe and Mail combined weekday reach is 857,800, 7-market summary

About Metro

Metro is the nation's No. 1 free national daily newspaper brand and the first national daily to publish in both official languages. In Canada, Metro editions are published in: Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Metro targets YAMs (young, active, metropolitans) and reaches more than 1.4 million readers daily and 2.9 million over the course of a week.

Metro is the largest international newspaper in the world. Metro is published in over 100 major cities in 20 countries across Europe, North & South America and Asia. Metro has a unique global reach - attracting a young, active, well-educated, metropolitan audience of over 17 million daily readers.

For further information:

Bill McDonald      
Group Publisher, Metro English Canada    
[phone]    
[email protected]