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May 8, 2006updated 22 Nov 2022 7:12pm

Sportsman launch ABC puts it “on course to break even”

By Press Gazette

By Dominic Ponsford

The Sportsman,

Britain’s first new national daily in 20 years, has achieved a launch circulation of 21,500.

The sports betting paper claims it has now established a “significant
beach-head” and was well on its way to achieving a break-even
circulation of 40,000 by the end of the year.

The paper was launched on 22 March and the launch ABC sales figure is for April.

In a press release, the paper said: “The figure does not include
the first 12 days of much higher sales and, therefore, the early
‘curiosity factor’.

"Equally, there were negligible bulk sales,
no foreign sales and during a period when an extensive sampling
campaign saw over 150,000 free papers given away.”

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Sportsman chairman Jeremy Deedes said: “We are encouraged by
April’s sales figure in a month when sales were a secondary concern to
promotion and visibility. Now we know exactly where we are we can
embark on sales beyond the news-stands themselves, like the foreign
gambling centres, corporate hospitality and direct to the racing and
betting industry as we gear up for the all-important World Cup. We are
also steadily improving the distribution of the paper.

“Our sponsorship at the Grand National and sampling at everything from
football to darts and poker tournaments to The City have put our
product in the right hands and to sell over 21,000 is a solid start.”

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

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