Following today’s announcement from the ABC extending publisher reporting options, News UK can confirm that it will undertake private auditing with immediate effect, as it shifts focus to a more holistic analysis of total brand reach for The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times.

The newsbrands will no longer feature in the ABC data hub, but the privately audited ABC figures will continue to be available to all publishers and agencies who sign up to the ABC’s new confidentiality agreement. News UK will now focus on total brand reach across mobile, tablet, PC and print via PAMCo as the most complete measure of audience growth.

News UK Chief Operating Officer David Dinsmore said: “News UK is a multi-platform business with brands that reach more people than ever before via mobile, web, apps, video, radio stations and podcasts, alongside print.

“While print remains a vitally important method of distributing our editorial to readers and meeting our advertisers’ needs, it is logical that the way we measure our audiences reflects the way the world works today. We put our customers at the heart of everything we do and we’re continually developing new and exciting products across all platforms: from new apps and websites to the upcoming launch of Times Radio.

"A renewed focus on total audience across our many distribution platforms enables the news sector, media agencies and advertising partners to understand the true value of our newsbrands and the power of advertising within a trusted context as they continue to see significant audience growth.”

The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times are all delivering growth across digital platforms, as consumers increasingly engage with our trusted brands on their mobile and desktop devices.

The latest PAMCo data indicates that News UK brands reach 72% of UK adults a month, while The Sun and The Times/The Sunday Times record their highest ever audiences: 37.1m and 11.5m respectively. Across the Sun’s total reach, 87% of that audience engages via digital-only platforms or across digital and print. PAMCo data measures de-duplicated audiences across all of their platforms – mobile, tablet, desktop and print.