Increasing reliance on free circulation helps men's magazines.

Esquire magazine saw the biggest circulation growth in the men's magazine sector in the first six months of 2016.

The paid-for title was helped by the addition of free circulation copies.

The average circulation for the title was up by 14.5% to 64, 712.

Around half of these copies were free.

GQ magazine's circulation fell by 3.3% in the same period, however it printed twice the number of copies as Esquire.

Forever Sports saw a substantial growth of 12% to 101, 430 copies, while Men's Health saw it's average circulation fall to 180, 082 copies - a 7.1% decrease year on year.