Leading Brands in Australia’s News & Magazines Category: Q1 2025 Analysis

In the ever-competitive News & Magazines category, three brands have emerged as leaders in Australia for Q1 2025: Guardian News and Media Limited, BBC News, and CNN. This article delves into their performance and trends from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025, showcasing how these brands have captivated their audiences across web and app platforms. Sensor Tower's comprehensive data offerings, including Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics, provide a unique lens into these trends.

Guardian News and Media Limited

Guardian News and Media Limited's digital presence is anchored by its website, theguardian.com, and the The Guardian - Live World News app.

• Audience Trends: From Q4 2024 to Q1 2025, theguardian.com experienced a notable increase in visits, reaching over 25M in January 2025 and peaking at 27M in March 2025. The monthly deduplicated audience consistently remained above 1.3M, indicating robust engagement.

• App Engagement: The app's monthly active user base saw steady growth, rising to nearly 48K by March 2025. This suggests a growing inclination towards mobile consumption among users.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Advertising efforts peaked in January 2025 with a monthly spend of over $12K, primarily on Facebook. Monthly impressions followed suit, with over 3M in the same month.

BBC News

BBC News maintains its prominence through its website, bbc.com, and the BBC: World News & Stories app.

• Audience Trends: bbc.com saw a slight fluctuation in visits, with a peak in January 2025 at over 20M. The monthly deduplicated audience hovered around 1.3M in Q1 2025, maintaining a stable presence.

• App Engagement: The app's monthly active users consistently exceeded 38K by March 2025, reflecting a steady user base.

• Ad Spend & Channels: BBC News's monthly ad spend showed variability, with a significant increase in March 2025, reaching over $9K. Facebook remained the dominant channel for impressions, with March alone delivering over 2M.

CNN

CNN's presence is bolstered by its website, cnn.com, and the CNN: Live & Breaking News app.

• Audience Trends: Visits to cnn.com fluctuated, peaking at over 6M in November 2024. The monthly deduplicated audience stayed above 330K throughout Q1 2025.

• App Engagement: Despite a modest user base, the app maintained stable monthly active users, nearing 9K by March 2025.

• Ad Spend & Channels: CNN's monthly ad spend was relatively low, with peaks in Instagram impressions, particularly in December 2024.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Guardian News and Media Limited, BBC News, and CNN have demonstrated strong digital presences in Australia's News & Magazines category for Q1 2025. With Sensor Tower's unparalleled data offerings, these insights highlight the intricate dynamics of cross-platform user engagement and advertising strategies. As these brands continue to evolve, their ability to adapt and engage across web and app platforms remains pivotal to their success. Sensor Tower’s consolidated data offers unique advantages for decision-makers seeking to understand and leverage these trends.