According to data, the Sports category now reaches nearly 40 percent of the total internet audience.
With the start of the 2006 NFL and College football seasons, and the NBA and NHL seasons quickly approaching, autumn marks an exciting time for sports fans. Optimism abounds as each team enters the season with an untainted record and fans hope that it might be the year for their favored team to capture the championship trophy. And then, of course, the season begins and the hopes of so many are quickly dashed. But still, it is that excitement and hope that keeps sports fans coming back for more each year.
Increasingly, sports fans see the internet as their up-to-the-minute source for scores, updates, and even video highlights for their favorite teams.
- In August 2006, the Sports category attracted 68.3 million visitors, which represents a 12-percent increase versus last year, with the category now reaching nearly 40 percent of the total internet audience.
- ESPN, the top sports property, attracted 17.9 million visitors in August, up seven percent versus last year. Yahoo! Sports ranked second with 13.8 million visitors (up 12 percent), followed by NFL Internet Group with 13.4 million visitors (up six percent).
- Yahoo! Sports and NFL Internet Group leapfrogged FOX Sports on MSN as the second most visited sports property in July 2006 due to the start of the football season. NFL Internet Group hosts the various NFL team sites, while Yahoo Sports is a popular fantasy football destination.
- Predictably, males were 12 percent more likely than average to visit the Sports category. People between the ages of 25 and 54 were also more likely than average to visit the Sports category, with those ages 35 to 44 showing the highest skews (Index = 115). Category visitation also exhibited regional skews, with the New England (Index = 112) and Mid-Atlantic (Index = 107) regions showing the highest relative visitation.
| Top 10 Properties in the Sports Category August 2006 vs. August 2005 Total U.S. - Home, Work and University Locations | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: comScore Media Metrix | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Demographic Profile Visitors to Sports Category August 2006 Total U.S. - Home, Work, and University Locations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: comScore Media Metrix |
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