After the war, the major newspapers engaged in a large-scale circulation race. The political parties, which long had sponsored their own papers, could not keep up, and one after another their outlets were sold or closed down. Sales in the millions depended on popular stories, with a strong human interesting theme, as well as detailed sports reports with the latest scores. Serious news was a niche market and added very little to the circulation base. The niche was dominated by "The Times" and, to a lesser extent, "The Daily Telegraph." Consolidation was rampant, as local dailies were bought up and added to chains based in London. James Curran and Jean Seaton report: