← Back to Reports

Media And Publishing Payment Practices Report 2023

•By PaymentCheck•Reports

UK Media & Publishing Payments Outperform National Average, But Wide Disparities Persist

The Numbers

  • Companies analysed: 33
  • Average PaymentCheck Score: 71.2/100
  • UK average: 50.0/100
  • Difference between Media & Publishing average and UK average: 21.2 points
  • Top Payer Score: 98.7/100
  • Bottom Payer Score: 42.8/100

What Stands Out

The UK Media & Publishing sector shows a significantly better payment performance than the UK average, with a score of 71.2/100 against 50.0/100. However, the considerable difference between the top and bottom payers suggests substantial inconsistencies in payment practices across the industry, implying that some suppliers are still struggling with slow payments. It's also noteworthy that one company based at an unknown location scored the highest of all, though the small sample size makes broad conclusions difficult.

Best Payers

  1. THE ASSOCIATED BOARD OF THE ROYAL SCHOOLS OF MUSIC - 98.7/100
  2. SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT UK LIMITED - 98.1/100
  3. ENTERTAINMENT MAGPIE LIMITED - 95.75/100
  4. ENTRUST SUPPORT SERVICES LIMITED - 93.33/100
  5. NEWSQUEST MEDIA GROUP LIMITED - 91.6/100

Worst Payers

  1. THE BOOK DEPOSITORY LIMITED - 42.8/100
  2. THE ORION PUBLISHING GROUP LIMITED - 44.75/100
  3. WH SMITH TRAVEL LIMITED - 46.57/100
  4. ASSOCIATED PRESS TELEVISION NEWS LIMITED - 49.27/100
  5. WILLIAM WILSON LTD. - 49.98/100

Regional Patterns

Regional data is limited by small sample sizes, but the West Midlands had the highest regional average at 93.3/100 based on just one company, while the North West, with two companies, averaged a lower 77.5/100, which suggests payment performance might depend more on individual company policies than location. Wales presents a reasonably strong showing, with an average of 88.6/100 across three companies, a figure higher than the national average.

Considering late payments? Use this late payment calculator.

The 55.9 point gap between The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (98.7/100) and The Book Depository Limited (42.8/100) highlights the urgent need for consistent payment practices across the UK Media & Publishing sector.