General manager Greg Murphy said the increased readership result was also great news for businesses because it further reinforced the strength of the NZME audience customers can reach across the region.
"The result also demonstrates that there was still a deep engagement with the Bay of Plenty Times and this allows local advertisers to cost-effectively reach a large local audience via their advertising in the paper."
Other NZME media brands have enjoyed growth in the latest survey.
The New Zealand Herald's daily audience has hit one million for the first time across its print and digital titles.
The Herald on Sunday, which remains the country's best read Sunday newspaper, and the Weekend Herald both enjoyed year-on-year readership growth.
The Weekend Herald is read by 477,000 people, up 8000 on a year ago. And the Herald on Sunday is read by 341,000 - up 25,000 in the past 12 months. The publication has grown its audience for the past five consecutive quarters.
NZME managing editor Shayne Currie said audiences were engaging with a wide range of in-depth journalism, investigative reporting and new forms of storytelling.
"We have a fantastic team of editors who do an outstanding job leading their teams to provide engaging, entertaining and inspiring content."
