Stuff Group Dominates In Digital And Print As Masthead Brands Grow Year On Year

Stuff Group has cemented its role as the number one digital and premium print media organisation in New Zealand, reaching 3.47million Kiwis every month, with the latest Nielsen results positioning The Post as the country’s fastest growing national news brand.

While stuff.co.nz’s audience has been on average more than 340,0001 New Zealanders ahead of its nearest competitor over the past six months, Stuff Group’s Masthead Publishing division is also showing significant and rapid growth. Nielsen’s quarterly readership results2 out today show increases in year on year newspaper readership for The Post (+4.5%), The Press (+3.3%) and the Waikato Times (+27%), building on large digital subscription increases of more than 40%5for each of the three titles.

Across digital and print, 812,0003 New Zealanders now read The Post each month with three out of four readers from outside the Wellington region. Its digital audience has grown 31%4 over the past 12 months and readership of its premium print edition is influential: they are 40% more likely to own a business, have a household income 6% higher than the national average and almost half have a post-graduate or more degree.6

Managing Director of Stuff Masthead Publishing, Joanna Norris, says digital news subscriptions have continued to grow this year, even as the cost of living bites.

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“Kiwis value and trust quality journalism and The Post’s unique intersection of business, power and politics is driving its large national readership,” she says. “While most newspaper readerships decline, our major news brands have bucked that trend this quarter and their digital audiences are growing too.

“These premium journalism digital and print products are where our commercial partners can see real impact from connecting with audiences who value quality and have consumer dollars to spend.”

Stuff’s lifestyle magazines also saw impressive year on year increases in today’s result: the country’s largest monthly magazine, NZ House & Garden, has a readership of 380,000 property-loving Kiwis, up 1.6%2 on a year ago.

Other results released today show:

The Press digital and print readership at 721,0003

The Waikato Times digital and print readership at 439,0003

Sunday Star-Times print readership up 9.6% YOY2

New Zealand Gardener readership up 2.8% YOY to 255,000 highly engaged gardeners.2

Stuff Group Owner and Publisher Sinead Boucher says the separation of the business into Stuff Digital (stuff.co.nz) and Masthead Publishing teams has delivered exciting momentum into each business through their focus on distinct audiences, revenue and growth strategies.

“Two and a half years on, the evidence is clear: separation has meant acceleration,” she says.

“Both Stuff Digital and Masthead Publishing are performing with confidence and clarity, focusing on their strengths and allowing us to deliver scale and innovation as well as strong and loyal audiences. This adds huge value to our commercial partners as they seek new ways to engage in trusted, brand-safe environments.”

Notes

1Nielsen Online Ratings Jan-Jul 25 Base AP 15+

2CMI Q3 24 - Q2 25 vs CMI Q3 23 - Q3 24 Average Issue Readership (AIR) Base AP 15+

3CMI Q3 24 - Q2 25 Fused Jul 25 Monthly Print readership or Digital UA Base AP 15+

4CMI Q3 24 - Q2 25 vs CMI Q3 23 - Q3 24 Monthly visitors to the Post website Base AP 15+

5Stuff internal data sources

6CMI Q3 24 - Q3 25 Base AP 15+

7CMI Q3 24 - Q2 25 Fused Jul 25 Total Stuff Group includes Stuff Ltd digital custom rollup monthly UA, Monthly print readership of daily & community newspapers, newspaper inserted magazines and premium magazine titles, Base AP 15+

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