Sun slashes price in London and south-east

Posted by Erina Lin on August 31, 2007 at 10:28 PM

The Sun is cutting its price from 35 pence to 20 pence in London and the south-east beginning Monday.

The move is aimed at keeping sales of News International’s red-top above 3 million copies per day. However, it may hit circulation revenue hard, because London and the country's south-east make up for about 20 percent of sales.

On the same day, News International will raise the cover price of the Times from 65 pence to 70 pence, keeping it in line with competitors like the Daily Telegraph, the Independent and the Guardian, MediaGuardian reported Friday.

Currently the best-selling daily, the Sun, charges 35 pence nationally, while its rivals, the Daily Mirror costs 40 pence, and the Daily Star is also 35 pence.

The much more furious competition from freesheets in London, such as Associated Newspapers’ Metro, which just announced its plan to expand distribution, is posing threats to the Sun’s sales.