RESTON, Va., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- comScore, Inc. , a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its monthly analysis of U.S. Web activity at the top online properties for September 2009 based on data from the comScore Media Metrix service. September marked the start of the fall television season as broadcast networks aired their season premieres, causing traffic to swell at TV sites. Education - Information sites and Computer Software also gained as students sought resources for the new academic year, while the Sports category soared to record highs during the September stretch run in baseball and kickoff to football season.
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"As summer fades and fall begins, Americans shift their focus back to school and take comfort in their TVs as season premieres and fall sports dominate the tube," said Jack Flanagan, comScore executive vice president. "With nearly half of the U.S. online population visiting television sites in September, it is clear that more than ever before Americans are turning to the Web for entertainment."
Fall TV Lineup Draws Fans Online
The beginning of the fall season sent Americans to TV sites for information on their favorite shows or to view episodes online, as the category grew 17 percent to 95.6 million visitors. Yahoo! TV led the category with nearly 20 million visitors (up 63 percent), followed by AOL Television with 13 million (up 7 percent) and NBC Network with 11.4 million. CWTV grabbed the #10 position with 5.8 million visitors, nearly tripling its audience since August.
Students Kickoff the School Year Right
As students hit the books in September, they also looked to the Web for information and resources. Education - Information sites and Computer Software sites both saw an increase in activity as classes resumed for students around the country. Education - Information sites grew 15 percent to 72.3 million visitors, making it one of the fastest growing categories in September, led by Pearson Education with nearly 17 million visitors (up 40 percent), Hot Chalk with 13 million visitors (up 64 percent), and Classes USA with 8 million visitors (up 13 percent).
The Computer Software category grew 14 percent, attracting 34.4 million visitors in September, led by Intuit, which grew 18 percent to 6.4 million visitors. Symantec Store followed closely with 6.2 million visitors (up 11 percent), while Wareseeker.com ranked third with 3.7 million visitors (up 76 percent).
Competition Heats Up for Sports Nationwide
Between the approaching Major League Baseball playoffs and the NFL season kickoff, sports were top of mind for many of Americans in September. The category reached an all-time high, attracting more than 98 million visitors, up 14 percent versus August. Yahoo! Sports ranked #1 with 38 million visitors during the month (up 32 percent), followed by ESPN with 29 million visitors (up 21 percent) and NFL Internet Group with 19 million visitors (up 19 percent).
Top 50 Properties
Google Sites ranked as the #1 property in September with 165 million visitors, followed by Yahoo! Sites with 160 million visitors and Microsoft Sites with 133 million visitors. Facebook.com held its #5 ranking with 95 million visitors, while ESPN climbed 9 spots to #30.
Top 50 Ad Focus Ranking
AOL Advertising led the September Ad Focus ranking reaching 91 percent of Americans online. Yahoo! Network ranked second, reaching 89 percent of the population, followed by Google Ad Network with an 86-percent reach.
Table 1 comScore Top 10 Gaining Properties by Percentage Change in Unique Visitors* (U.S.) September 2009 vs. August 2009 Total U.S. - Home, Work and University Locations Source: comScore Media Metrix ----------------------------- Total Unique Visitors (000) -------------------------- Aug-09 Sep-09 % Change Rank by Unique Visitors ------ ------ -------- -------- Total Internet : Total Audience 197,311 198,378 1 N/A ---------------------- ------- ------- -- -------- CWTV.COM 1,846 5,380 191 226 -------- ----- ----- --- --- FunnyorDie 3,647 6,331 74 193 ---------- ----- ----- -- --- CAUSES.COM 3,226 5,445 69 223 ---------- ----- ----- -- --- HotChalk 7,688 12,595 64 89 -------- ----- ------ -- -- ABC Television 4,524 6,874 52 173 -------------- ----- ----- -- --- TV Guide Online Network 6,959 10,471 50 111 ----------------------- ----- ------ -- --- UNIVISION.COM 3,331 4,943 48 250 ------------- ----- ----- -- --- Pearson Education 11,953 16,684 40 63 ----------------- ------ ------ -- -- Alloy Digital Network 11,315 15,415 36 70 --------------------- ------ ------ -- -- Liberty Media Holding Corporation 8,310 11,153 34 100 --------------------- ----- ------ -- ---
*Ranking based on the top 250 properties in September 2009. Excludes entities whose growth was primarily due to implementation of Media Metrix 360 hybrid audience measurement.
Table 2 comScore Top 10 Gaining Site Categories by Percentage Change in Unique Visitors (U.S.) September 2009 vs. August 2009 Total U.S. - Home, Work and University Locations Source: comScore Media Metrix ----------------------------- Total Unique Visitors (000) --------------------- Aug-09 Sep-09 % Change ------ ------ ------ Total Internet : Total Audience 195,538 197,311 1 ------------------------------- ------- ------- -- Entertainment - TV 81,833 95,601 17 ------------------ ------ ------ -- Education - Information 62,899 72,321 15 ----------------------- ------ ------ -- Retail - Computer Software 30,172 34,357 14 -------------------------- ------ ------ -- Sports 86,388 98,180 14 ------ ------ ------ -- Gaming Information 52,083 58,901 13 ------------------ ------ ------ -- Community - Green 16,129 18,077 12 ----------------- ------ ------ -- Online Gambling 11,036 12,320 12 --------------- ------ ------ -- Community - Lifestyles 93,840 104,220 11 ---------------------- ------ ------- -- Religion/Spirituality 22,419 24,861 11 --------------------- ------ ------ -- Entertainment - Movies 70,994 78,143 10 ---------------------- ------ ------ -- Table 3 comScore Top 50 Properties (U.S.) September 2009 Total U.S. - Home, Work and University Locations Unique Visitors (000) Source: comScore Media Metrix Unique Unique Visitors Visitors Rank Property (000) Rank Property (000) ---- -------- ---- ---- -------- ---- Total Internet : Total Audience 198,378 ---------------------- ------- 1 Google Sites 164,597 26 Disney Online 30,712 -- ------------ ------- -- ------------- ------ 2 Yahoo! Sites 159,765 27 Everyday Health 30,341 -- ------------ ------- -- --------------- ------ 3 Microsoft Sites 133,163 28 iVillage.com: The Womens Network 29,213 -- --------------- ------- -- ----------------- ------ 4 AOL LLC 100,324 29 NBC Universal 29,053 -- ------- ------- -- ------------- ------ 5 FACEBOOK.COM 95,497 30 ESPN 28,822 -- ------------ ------ -- ---- ------ 6 Ask Network 93,323 31 WordPress 28,379 -- ----------- ------ -- --------- ------ 7 Fox Interactive Media 85,561 32 AT&T Interactive Network 28,325 -- --------------------- ------ -- ---------------- ------ 8 eBay 70,188 33 Superpages.com Network 27,085 -- ---- ------ -- -------------- ------ 9 Amazon Sites 68,653 34 Break Media 26,019 -- ------------ ------ -- ----------- ------ 10 Wikimedia Foundation Sites 67,890 35 Target Corporation 25,594 -- -------------------- ------ -- ------------------ ------ 11 Apple Inc. 59,986 36 Bank of America 25,461 -- ---------- ------ -- --------------- ------ 12 CBS Interactive 58,035 37 Gorilla Nation 24,459 -- --------------- ------ -- -------------- ------ 13 Answers.com Sites 56,383 38 Technorati Media 24,459 -- ----------------- ------ -- ---------------- ------ 14 Glam Media 54,764 39 NetShelter Technology Media 24,396 -- ---------- ------ -- ----------------- ------ 15 Demand Media 52,495 40 Federated Media Publishing 23,975 -- ------------ ------ -- --------------- ------ 16 Turner Network 50,643 41 Weatherbug Property 23,505 -- -------------- ------ -- ------------------- ------ 17 Viacom Digital 49,984 42 AT&T, Inc. 23,428 -- -------------- ------ -- ---------- ------ 18 New York Times Digital 49,813 43 Gannett Sites 22,523 -- ---------------------- ------ -- ------------- ------ 19 craigslist, inc. 45,784 44 Photobucket.com LLC 22,171 -- ---------------- ------ -- ------------------- ------ 20 Weather Channel, The 40,277 45 Expedia Inc 21,950 -- -------------------- ------ -- ----------- ------ 21 Adobe Sites 39,543 46 TWITTER.COM* 20,894 -- ----------- ------ -- ----------- ------ 22 Comcast Corporation 36,278 47 Real.com Network 20,497 -- ------------------- ------ -- ---------------- ------ 23 Verizon Communications 31,645 48 JPMorgan Chase Corporation Property 19,796 -- ---------------------- ------ -- -------------- ------ 24 The Mozilla Organization 31,419 49 Experian Interactive 19,332 -- ------------- ------ -- -------------------- ------ 25 Wal-Mart 31,137 50 Shopzilla.com Sites 19,330 -- -------- ------ -- ------------------- ------ Table 4 comScore Ad Focus Ranking (U.S.) September 2009 Total U.S. - Home, Work and University Locations Unique Visitors (000) Source: comScore Media Metrix Total Unique Unique Visitors % Visitors % Rank Property (000) Reach Rank Property (000) Reach ---- -------- -------- ----- ---- -------- ----- ----- Total Internet : Total Audience 198,378 100.0 --------------- ------- ----- SpotXchange Video Ad Network - Potential 1 AOL Advertising** 181,163 91.3 26 Reach 118,321 59.6 -- ----------------- ------- ------ -- ----------- ------- ---- 2 Yahoo! Network** 176,208 88.8 27 CPX Interactive** 102,998 51.9 -- ---------------- ------- ------ -- --------------- ------- ---- 3 Google Ad YOUTUBE.COM Network** 171,180 86.3 28 101,036 50.9 -- ---------- ------- ---- -- ------------ ------- ---- 4 Tremor Media - 29 TidalTV - Potential Reach 167,930 84.7 Potential Reach 100,748 50.8 -- ---------------- ------- ---- -- ---------- ------- ---- 5 ValueClick 30 AOL Media Networks** 163,037 82.2 Network 100,324 50.6 -- ----------- ------- ---- -- --------- ------- ---- 6 Yahoo! Sites 159,765 80.5 31 MSN 95,732 48.3 -- ------------ ------- ---- -- --- ------ ---- 7 Specific Media** 156,840 79.1 32 FACEBOOK.COM 95,497 48.1 -- ---------------- ------- ---- -- ------------ ------ ---- 8 Google 156,820 79.1 33 Ask Network 93,323 47.0 -- ------ ------- ---- -- ----------- ------ ---- 9 FOX Audience Network** 155,473 78.4 34 Adify** 92,427 46.6 -- ------------ ------- ---- -- ------- ------ ---- 10 Microsoft Media 35 Undertone Network US** 153,412 77.3 Networks** 91,179 46.0 -- --------------- ------- ---- -- ----------- ------ ---- 11 24/7 Real Media** 150,821 76.0 36 ADSDAQ by ContextWeb** 87,643 44.2 -- ----------------- ------- ---- -- -------------- ------ ---- 12 BrightRoll Video Network - Potential Reach 148,374 74.8 37 Pulse 360** 87,220 44.0 -- ---------------- ------- ---- -- ----------- ------ ---- 13 YuMe Video Network - Potential Reach 143,643 72.4 38 Vibrant Media** 87,218 44.0 -- ----------------- ------- ---- -- --------------- ------ ---- 14 Traffic 39 Monster Career Marketplace** 143,275 72.2 Ad Network (CAN)** 84,874 42.8 -- -------------- ------- ---- -- --------- ------ ---- 15 Tribal Fusion** 137,091 69.1 40 ScanScout Network - Potential Reach 84,159 42.4 -- --------------- ------- ---- -- ------------ ------ ---- 16 AudienceScience 41 NNN Total (formerly Newspapers: Revenue U.S. Science)** 136,777 68.9 83,137 41.9 -- --------------- ------- ---- -- ------------ ------ ---- 17 interCLICK** 135,328 68.2 42 IB Local Network 79,152 39.9 -- ------------ ------- ---- -- -------- ------ ---- 18 Collective Network by 43 Centro - Collective Potential Media** 134,518 67.8 Reach 77,362 39.0 -- ----------- ------- ---- -- --------- ------ ---- 19 Adconion Media 44 IAC Ad Group** 133,246 67.2 Solutions 74,414 37.5 -- -------------- ------- ---- -- ---------- ------ ---- 20 Casale Media - 45 Windows MediaNet** 132,222 66.7 Live 73,380 37.0 -- -------------- ------- ---- -- ----------- ------ ---- 21 Turn, Inc** 131,163 66.1 46 ITN Digital - Potential Reach 73,000 36.8 -- ----------- ------- ---- -- ------------- ------ ---- 22 Advertising.com 47 Kontera** 71,057 35.8 Video Network - Potential Reach 124,802 62.9 -- ----------------- ------- ---- -- -------- ------ ---- 23 Digital Broadcasting Group (DBG) - Potential Reach 121,483 61.2 48 Bing 68,515 34.5 -- ----------------- ------- ---- -- ---- ------ ---- 24 Burst Media** 120,077 60.5 49 MediaWhiz** 67,145 33.8 -- ------------- ------- ---- -- ---------- ------ ---- 25 AdBrite** 118,797 59.9 50 MYSPACE.COM* 65,652 33.1 -- -------- ------- ---- -- ----------- ------ ----
Reach % denotes the percentage of the total Internet population that viewed a particular entity at least once in September. For instance, Yahoo! Sites was seen by 89 percent of the nearly 198 million Internet users in September.
* Entity has assigned some portion of traffic to other syndicated entities.
** Denotes an advertising network. About comScore Media Metrix
comScore Media Metrix provides industry-leading Internet audience measurement services that report details of online media usage, visitor demographics and online buying power for the home, work and university audiences across local U.S. markets and across the globe. comScore Media Metrix reports are used by financial analysts, advertising agencies, publishers and marketers. comScore Media Metrix syndicated ratings are based on industry-sanctioned sampling methodologies.
About comScore
comScore, Inc. is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. For more information, please visit http://www.comscore.com/companyinfo.
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