All is not well at The Sun. The numbers are grim, and the explanation—part legal bills, part digital disruption—feels familiar in 2026.
Misryoum newsroom reported that losses at the newspaper have grown to £53 million, with pre-tax losses increasing from £18m in 2024 to £53.3m, just below the 2021 level (loss of £51.1m). And yes, it’s the kind of slide that tends to get noticed fast inside any newsroom, especially when the public story is already loud.
The financial pressure shows up elsewhere too. Misryoum newsroom reported revenue of £273.1 million for the year to 29 June 2025, down from £296m in 2024. Not a small stumble—more like a steady bleed that doesn’t stop just because you redesign a homepage or swap headlines.
A big chunk of the deterioration is tied to one-off charges. Misryoum newsroom reported that one-off charges rose from £14.1m to £36.7m, including a £7.4m charge relating to legal fees and damages over previous illegal newsgathering activities at The Sun and News of the World. In 2024, Misryoum newsroom reported there had been a £13.7m credit in respect of legal fees and damages—so it’s not just that costs went up, it’s that the balance changed in the opposite direction.
Then there’s the lawsuit hangover. Misryoum editorial desk noted that News Group Newspapers, the subsidiary of News UK that publishes The Sun, had to settle “claims brought by Prince Harry and Sir Tom Watson on the eve of a trial” by admitting “unlawful activities” took place at The Sun and issuing a “full and unequivocal apology” as well as a payout rumoured to be in excess of £10m. The phrasing matters here—admission, apology, and money. The kind of package that can’t be undone with a new marketing push.
Another factor cited in Misryoum analysis is the digital side. Misryoum editorial desk noted that changes to social media algorithms adversely affected news content, hitting traffic after those platform shifts. It’s hard to overstate how quickly those changes can swing attention—one day a post circulates, the next it barely moves. You can almost picture it: the quiet refresh of a dashboard, the faint buzz of a phone on a desk, then… nothing.
There’s also an irony that hangs over this whole situation. The Sun, famously loud, appears to be fighting for the volume it once automatically got online. And while the legal costs are one clear driver, the algorithm story is more slippery—less like a line item, more like weather. Actually, maybe not weather—more like something you can’t predict, only react to.
(Background note: Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward. However, Misryoum newsroom reporting focuses on the figures and reasons above.)
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