UK Media & Publishing Payment Practices: A Mixed Bag, But Mostly Positive

The Numbers

• Companies analysed: 38
• Average PaymentCheck Score: 72.0/100
• UK average (all sectors): 50.0/100
• Media & Publishing average is 22.0 points above the UK average
• Highest score: 98.7/100 (THE ASSOCIATED BOARD OF THE ROYAL SCHOOLS OF MUSIC)
• Lowest score: 41.25/100 (THE ORION PUBLISHING GROUP LIMITED)

What Stands Out

The UK Media and Publishing sector shows a significantly better average payment performance compared to the UK average, with 72.0 versus 50.0. However, the considerable spread between the best and worst payers indicates inconsistent payment cultures within the industry, and some suppliers will undoubtedly be feeling the pinch.

Best Payers

1. THE ASSOCIATED BOARD OF THE ROYAL SCHOOLS OF MUSIC - 98.7/100
2. SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT UK LIMITED - 97.5/100
3. ENTERTAINMENT MAGPIE LIMITED - 94.7/100
4. WHICH? LIMITED - 93.8/100
5. NEWSQUEST COMMUNITY MEDIA LIMITED - 93.35/100

Worst Payers

1. THE ORION PUBLISHING GROUP LIMITED - 41.25/100
2. WH SMITH TRAVEL LIMITED - 43.43/100
3. GARDNERS BOOKS LIMITED - 46.8/100
4. ASSOCIATED PRESS TELEVISION NEWS LIMITED - 48.4/100
5. WILLIAM WILSON LTD. - 49.9/100

Regional Patterns

Payment performance varies significantly by region, with the West Midlands leading at an average of 91.8 (but only one company sampled) and Wales coming in second at 89.9 (based on three companies); this suggests that geography could play a role, but we would need larger sample sizes to say that definitively.

For suppliers frustrated by slow payments, it's worth checking out this late payment calculator to understand the potential financial impact.

While the Media and Publishing sector's average PaymentCheck score of 72.0 is encouraging, the gap of 57.45 points between the highest and lowest scoring companies underscores the need for suppliers to do their due diligence before extending credit.