Build a newsletter media kit that wins UK sponsors: examples and rates

What to take away

A UK media kit is one page answering four questions: who reads, how many read, how they engage, and what a slot costs in pounds.
The Mill, Sifted and The Browser show three levels of disclosure, from a contact form to a defined metric sheet.
No public GBP CPM benchmark exists for UK newsletters, so dollar figures on Paved or Who Sponsors Stuff are converted, not measured.
Publish a VAT-stated range, set from list size, open rate, niche and send frequency.
Label sponsored slots so readers can tell they are advertising, and confirm in writing that subscriber data is not shared.

Build the kit in five steps

Export subscribers, UK share, open rate, click rate and replies, each dated.
Define what a slot includesplacement, word count, images, links and lead time.
Set a rate range and say whether VAT is included.
Write the labelling convention and the data terms.
Keep the pitch to one page, with methodology in an appendix.

The format follows print and publishing, where the media kit has carried the same audience summary for decades. Most numbers come from your platform export; Mailchimp alternatives for UK newsletter creators is worth reading if yours charges extra for geography or click reports.

Newsletter: [name] | Send day: [day] | Frequency: [weekly]
Audience: [subscribers] | UK share: [%] | As of: [date]
Engagement: opens [%] | clicks [%] | replies [number]
Inventory: [placement], [words], [images]
Rates: £[low] to £[high] | VAT: [included/added]
Terms: label '[Ad]' | data: no list sharing

A sponsored section must be identifiable as advertising. The CAP Code, enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority, requires marketing communications to be obviously recognisable, so print your labelling convention beside the rates.

If a sponsor asks for subscriber data, the ICO GDPR guidance sets out lawful basis, transparency and consent. A kit that offers email addresses with no stated basis invites trouble.

Example: a completed kit for a UK list

Take a Manchester B2B newsletter with 4,200 subscribers, 61% UK share, a 44% open rate and a Tuesday send. Its filled template reads £250 per 120-word slot with one link, VAT added, 10 days lead time and an "[Ad]" label. That is an illustration of the arithmetic, not a market average.

UK media kits you can copy

What the kit shows

The Mill: City editions, ad formats, contact form
Sifted: Newsletter and event sponsorship, metric definitions
The Browser: Audience line, classified and display slots, contact

What to copy

The Mill: Naming which edition each slot runs in
Sifted: How each metric is defined
The Browser: The order: audience, slots, contact

The Mill runs editions in Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool and Birmingham. Its advertise page separates the editions, and that separation is the detail worth copying into your own kit.

UK media kit examples

The Mill

Type: Local group
Covers: Ad options
Rates: On request
Copy this: Local editions

Sifted

Type: FT-backed news
Covers: Newsletter, events
Rates: Commercial team
Copy this: Metric definitions

The Browser

Type: Paid newsletter
Covers: Classified, display
Rates: On request
Copy this: Audience size

Sifted, backed by the Financial Times, covers newsletter and event sponsorship and leaves rates to its commercial team, so copy its metric definitions. The Browser, a UK-founded paid newsletter, lists audience size, classified and display slots and contact details.

GBP rate ranges, and the benchmark that is missing

No public GBP-denominated CPM benchmark exists for UK newsletters. Paved and Who Sponsors Stuff quote in dollars, commonly $20 to $50, and SponsorGap lists placements from $100 to $5,000.

GBP rate ranges

List size	Starting UK range per slot	Notes
Under 2,000	£50 to £150	Flat fee, single placement
2,000 to 10,000	£150 to £600	Niche matters more than size
10,000 to 50,000	£600 to £2,500	Multi-send packages are common
National titles	£1,000 and up per send	Quoted on request

Use those bands as a starting framework, not a published average. Small UK lists often quote £50 to £500 per slot, and larger national newsletters quote £1,000 or more per send.

GBP rate ranges to quote

Small UK lists£50-500 per slot
Larger national newsletters£1,000+ per send
Paved CPM£16-40
SponsorGap slots£80-4,000

Check every figure against a definition and a date. Newsletter benchmark research explains why a number cannot be used until its population and period are known.

Pricing when you have no comparable deal

Four inputs set the number: list size, open rate, niche value to that buyer, and send frequency.

Pricing with no comparable deal

Average the clicks on your main link across the last four sends.
Divide your target rate by that average for a cost per click.
Compare it with what the sponsor pays per click on search or social.
Set the range so the bottom end still covers your time.

How to price newsletter sponsorships for UK creators works through the same inputs if you want a second method. Publish the range: buyers shortlist kits they can price without an email chain.

Common questions

Should I publish rates or quote on request?

Publish a range with VAT stated. A named price filters out enquiries that were never going to close.

What if I have never sold a slot?

Run a house ad in your own newsletter and report the clicks. A measured test slot beats a claim about quality.

How long should the kit be?

One page for the pitch, with the metric table and rates on it. Methodology goes in an appendix.

Can a sponsor email my subscribers directly?

Usually not, and the kit should say so. Treat list access as a data-sharing decision with its own lawful basis.