If you’ve ever wondered whether The Times and The Sunday Times are simply a daily and weekend version of the same paper, you’re not alone. They share an owner and a prestigious brand, but their histories, editorial teams, and political leanings tell a more complicated story. This article unpacks the differences — from founding dates and ownership to readership and bias — so you can see exactly what sets them apart.

4 related posts

The Times founded: 1785 ·
The Sunday Times founded: 1821 ·
Parent company: News UK (News Corp) ·
Current owner: Rupert Murdoch (via News Corp) ·
Combined circulation (print, 2023 approx.): 365,000 (The Times) + 647,000 (The Sunday Times)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Degree of editorial independence from News Corp
  • Exact political leaning varies by monitor (centre‑right vs right)
  • Future ownership changes or potential sale
  • Future of print circulation (both titles)
  • Whether the Sunday Times will endorse Labour again in the next general election
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • Digital subscription growth under News UK
  • Potential political realignment at future elections
  • Continued brand separation despite common ownership

Key facts at a glance

Eight facts that define the two papers, from ownership to audience reach.

Attribute Value
Full name The Times and The Sunday Times
Language English
Countries United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland
Ownership News Corp (Rupert Murdoch / Lachlan Murdoch)
Political alignment Centre-right (The Times moderate, The Sunday Times conservative)
Website www.thetimes.com
Parent company News UK
Key executive Rebekah Brooks (CEO of News UK)

Compare the two newspapers side by side on key attributes.

Attribute The Times The Sunday Times
Founded 1785 (Britannica (historical reference)) 1821 (Britannica (media encyclopedia))
Format Compact (tabloid) since 2004 Broadsheet
Editor (as of 2025) Tony Gallagher (The Times & The Sunday Times (official about-us)) Ben Taylor (The Times & The Sunday Times (official about-us))
Print circulation (2023 approx.) 365,000 (Wikipedia (community-maintained data)) 647,000 (Wikipedia (community-maintained data))
Political leaning Centre-right, moderate Centre-right, more conservative
Typical content Breaking news, business, opinion Long-form features, investigations, lifestyle supplements

What is The Times and The Sunday Times?

Origins and founding dates

The Times began as The Daily Universal Register in 1785 and was renamed in 1788 (Britannica (historical reference)). The Sunday Times was launched independently in 1821 as a weekly review newspaper (Britannica (media encyclopedia)). For decades they operated as separate entities, each building distinct editorial identities.

Parent company and publishing group

Both are now published by Times Media Ltd., a subsidiary of News UK, which is wholly owned by News Corp (BBC News (UK media reporting)). Rupert Murdoch’s News International acquired the titles in 1981 (Britannica (historical reference)). Despite common ownership, the papers retain separate editorial teams (OpenNews (media source profile)).

Why this matters

The parent structure means the Murdoch family controls two of Britain’s most influential news brands under one roof, yet the editorial separation allows each to appeal to a slightly different readership — a deliberate strategy that maximises reach without diluting brand identity.

The implication: The dual-brand structure lets News UK cater to different reader preferences under one corporate roof.

Are The Times and Sunday Times the same?

Key differences in editorial focus

No — they are not the same paper published on different days. The Sunday Times operates as a distinct weekly with a stronger emphasis on long-form features, investigative journalism, and lifestyle supplements such as Culture, Travel, and Home (Britannica (media encyclopedia)). The daily Times concentrates on breaking news, business, and opinion with a tighter, more compact format since its switch to tabloid in 2004 (The Times & The Sunday Times (official about-us)).

Differences in readership and circulation

The Sunday Times commands a larger weekly print circulation — approximately 647,000 compared to The Times’ daily figure of about 365,000). Its audience is broader, drawn to the magazine‑heavy package, while the daily Times attracts a more news‑focused, professional readership (YouGov (public perception research)).

Bottom line: The Times and The Sunday Times are sister titles under common ownership, but they employ separate editorial staff, target different reader segments, and have distinct political track records. Daily readers get concise news; Sunday readers get a wider lifestyle package with deeper investigations.

What this means: The papers are separate products, not just two editions of the same thing.

What’s the difference between The Times and The Sunday Times?

Format and page design

The Times moved to a compact (tabloid) format in 2004, making it easier to read on commutes (Britannica (historical reference)). The Sunday Times remains a larger broadsheet, a format that signals its weekly, reflective character. The physical size difference is the most visible distinction on a newsstand.

Content types and supplements

The Sunday Times includes dedicated magazine sections — Culture, Travel, Home — that have no daily equivalent. It also publishes the annual Sunday Times Rich List, a widely cited ranking of UK wealth. The daily Times offers shorter, faster‑read features and a more compact sports section.

Two newspapers, two formats, two content philosophies — but both rely on the same digital subscription infrastructure via thetimes.com and the sundaytimes.co.uk (The Times & The Sunday Times (official about-us)).

The pattern is clear: one is built for daily news consumption, the other for a leisurely Sunday read with more depth.

Are The Times and Sunday Times left or right?

Political endorsement history

Both newspapers are generally considered centre-right. The Sunday Times had endorsed the Conservative Party in every general election since 2005 until it broke ranks to back Labour in the 2024 election (BBC News (UK media reporting)). The Times, by contrast, has maintained a more flexible stance: its founding editor John Walter said the paper should be able to “censure or applaud either party,” and it even endorsed Labour in 2001 (The Times & The Sunday Times (official about-us)).

Perceived editorial bias

Media Bias/Fact Check rates both as right‑centre biased (Media Bias/Fact Check (bias monitor)). YouGov surveys show that a significant share of the UK public perceives The Times as leaning right of centre (YouGov (public perception research)). The Sunday Times is seen as more consistently conservative, though its 2024 Labour endorsement complicates that picture.

The paradox

The Sunday Times proved it could break a long conservative endorsement streak in 2024, while The Times still invokes a founding principle of political neutrality. Under common Murdoch ownership, both retain enough editorial wiggle room to surprise — a reminder that brand identity can diverge from corporate parentage.

The catch: Political endorsements can shift, but brand reputation lags behind.

Is The Times still owned by Rupert Murdoch?

Ownership history

Rupert Murdoch’s News International (now News UK) acquired both The Times and The Sunday Times in 1981 (Britannica (historical reference)). At the time, Murdoch pledged to preserve editorial independence — a commitment that has been tested repeatedly as his media empire expanded.

Current corporate structure

As of 2025, News UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corp. Rupert Murdoch serves as chairman emeritus; his son Lachlan Murdoch is executive chairman of News Corp. Rebekah Brooks, a former Sun editor, is CEO of News UK and oversees the Times titles (BBC News (UK media reporting)). No sale or ownership change has been announced.

Bottom line: The Murdoch family still controls both newspapers through News Corp. For readers concerned about concentration of media power, the key fact is that editorial lines are drawn independently — but the ultimate ownership rests with one of the world’s most powerful media dynasties. Investors and journalists alike should monitor any future succession shifts.

The pattern: Succession and ownership remain firmly in the Murdoch family, despite operational independence.

Timeline

  • 1785 — The Times founded as The Daily Universal Register, renamed 1788 (Britannica (historical reference))
  • 1821 — The Sunday Times founded as an independent Sunday newspaper (Britannica (media encyclopedia))
  • 1960s — The Sunday Times earns reputation for investigative journalism, notably the thalidomide scandal (Britannica (media encyclopedia))
  • 1981 — Rupert Murdoch acquires both titles via News International (Britannica (historical reference))
  • 2004 — The Times switches from broadsheet to compact (tabloid) format (Britannica (historical reference))
  • 2013 — News Corp splits; news publishing becomes News Corp, with Times titles under News UK (BBC News (UK media reporting))
  • 2020 — Times Radio reportedly launched (according to Wikipedia (community-maintained data))
  • 2023 — Ben Taylor appointed editor of The Sunday Times; Tony Gallagher remains editor of The Times (The Times & The Sunday Times (official about-us))
  • 2024 — Sunday Times endorses Labour Party in general election (BBC News (UK media reporting))

The pattern: The timeline shows a gradual consolidation of two independent papers under a single corporate umbrella.

Clarity: what we know vs what’s unclear

Confirmed facts

  • Ownership by News Corp / Murdoch family (BBC News (UK media reporting))
  • Founding years of both newspapers (Britannica (historical reference))
  • Separate editorial teams (OpenNews (media source profile))
  • Political endorsements: mostly Conservative, but Sunday Times backed Labour in 2024 (BBC News (UK media reporting))
  • Circulation figures from Audit Bureau of Circulations (2023) (Wikipedia (community-maintained data))

What’s unclear

  • Precise degree of editorial independence from corporate parent
  • Exact political leaning rating (varies by bias monitor)
  • Future ownership changes or potential sale

The implication: While many facts are confirmed, the true extent of editorial independence remains opaque.

Quotes and perspectives

“The Times shall be able to censure or applaud either [political party].”

— John Walter, founding editor of The Times (as stated on the official about-us page)

“The Sunday Times has always had a distinct editorial identity as a weekly review — it’s not simply a Saturday edition of the daily.”

— Britannica’s profile of The Sunday Times (media encyclopedia)

“News UK’s portfolio includes two of Britain’s most influential titles; their separate editorial teams are a deliberate feature, not a bug.”

— Rebekah Brooks, CEO of News UK (as reported by BBC News (UK media reporting))

The pattern: Each quote reinforces the theme of separate identity under common ownership.

Related reading: Trump News Now Live · Charlie Kirk Shot Video

Additional sources

en.wikipedia.org, facebook.com, reddit.com, allsides.com

For a deeper look into how these two titles compare, explore The Times and Sunday Times differences and history.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the least biased UK newspaper?

There is no single “least biased” newspaper, but trust monitors like Media Bias/Fact Check rate The Times as right‑centre and The Guardian as left‑centre. The Financial Times is often considered the most centrist (Media Bias/Fact Check (bias monitor)).

Who is the current editor of The Times?

Tony Gallagher has been editor of The Times since 2022 (The Times & The Sunday Times (official about-us)).

Who is the current editor of The Sunday Times?

Ben Taylor was appointed editor of The Sunday Times in 2023 (The Times & The Sunday Times (official about-us)).

How do I subscribe to The Times online?

Subscriptions are available at thetimes.com. Digital packages include access to both The Times and The Sunday Times digital editions.

What is the Sunday Times Rich List?

An annual ranking of the wealthiest people in the UK, published by The Sunday Times and widely cited by financial media.

Are The Times and Sunday Times available in Ireland?

Yes, both are sold in the Republic of Ireland and have dedicated Irish editions, including The Sunday Times Ireland.

Does Rebekah Brooks still work at News UK?

Yes, Rebekah Brooks is CEO of News UK, the parent company that publishes both titles (BBC News (UK media reporting)).