The Sunday Times

The Sunday Times stands as the dominant force in Britain's quality press, a title it has held for centuries. Founded in 1821 under the name The New Observer, this publication evolved into a media powerhouse that defines national conversation every week. It belongs to Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, which sits under the vast umbrella of News Corp. This corporate family also owns its daily counterpart, The Times, creating a unique partnership where two historically separate entities have shared ownership since 1966 after News International purchased them in 1981. By March 2020, the paper commanded a circulation of 647,622 copies, a figure that surpassed the combined total of its primary rivals, The Sunday Telegraph and The Observer. While competitors shifted to compact tabloid formats in the early 2000s to save costs, The Sunday Times stuck with its traditional broadsheet size. Editors insisted on maintaining the larger format to preserve depth and authority. That strategy paid off; by late 2019, the Sunday edition sold 75% more copies than its weekday sibling. Beyond news reporting, the masthead is famous for launching annual features like The Sunday Times Rich List and The Sunday Times Fast Track 100, which track the nation's wealthiest individuals and fastest-growing companies.[edit]