UK Media & Publishing Payments: Sector Significantly Outperforms National Average, But Disparities Persist

The Numbers

• Companies Analysed: 36
• Average PaymentCheck Score: 73.1/100
• UK Average (all sectors): 50.0/100
• Difference: Media & Publishing is 23.1 points above the UK average
• Top Payer: The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (99.4/100)
• Bottom Payer: The Orion Publishing Group Limited (35.1/100)

What Stands Out

The UK's Media and Publishing sector significantly outperforms the national average for payment practices, suggesting generally healthy cash flow and a commitment to timely supplier payments. However, a nearly 65-point difference between the best and worst payers reveals stark internal inequalities. We can use this late payment calculator to work out late fees and compensation.

Best Payers

1. THE ASSOCIATED BOARD OF THE ROYAL SCHOOLS OF MUSIC - 99.4/100
2. SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT UK LIMITED - 96.3/100
3. FRONTLINE LIMITED - 94.5/100
4. WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC LIMITED - 94.3/100
5. WHICH? LIMITED - 92.8/100

Worst Payers

1. THE ORION PUBLISHING GROUP LIMITED - 35.1/100
2. WH SMITH TRAVEL LIMITED - 41/100
3. GARDNERS BOOKS LIMITED - 44.2/100
4. ASSOCIATED PRESS TELEVISION NEWS LIMITED - 47/100
5. WILLIAM WILSON LTD. - 49.3/100

Regional Patterns

While the sample sizes are very small, it's notable that the single company with an unknown region reported the same score (96.3) as Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited. Wales follows, with an average of 92.7, followed by West Midlands (88.3) and Yorkshire and The Humber (84.2). These regional comparisons are indicative at best, given the low number of companies reported per region, but may warrant further investigation with more data.

The data underscores a considerable performance gap; while the average score is 73.1, companies like The Orion Publishing Group Limited are lagging nearly 40 points behind.

2025: The Story

2025 saw a modest but positive shift in payment practices within the Media and Publishing sector, with the average score rising to 73.1, a 1.0-point improvement year-over-year from 72.0. This overall uplift was significantly bolstered by ACADEMY MUSIC GROUP LIMITED, which surged by an impressive 15.5 points to reach 75.3/100, marking the sector's biggest improvement. This strong performance aligns with notable high scores from new music industry entrants like WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC LIMITED (94.3/100) and PARLOPHONE RECORDS LIMITED (86.5/100), suggesting a more positive trend emerging within the music sub-sector. However, not all news was good; THE ORION PUBLISHING GROUP LIMITED saw the most significant decline, dropping 6.2 points to a concerning 35.1/100. Other publishing giants like PENGUIN BOOKS LIMITED (84.4/100) and THE RANDOM HOUSE GROUP LIMITED (83.3/100) joined the data with strong scores, despite a slight reduction in overall companies reported (36 from 38). Suppliers should pay close attention to individual company performance, as sector averages can mask significant divergence, particularly within traditional publishing.