British Olympic Success Drives Sports Fans Online
UK visits to Olympic websites have surged ahead in the final week of the Games as Britain’s medal tally continues to rise, according to the latest data from web-statistics firm Hitwise.
The research shows that online interest in the Athens Games, which are now in their final week, has increased in-line with the British Olympic Team’s rise up the overall medal table to occupy a respectable tenth place.
Saturday 21 August saw the biggest increase in web traffic as Britain pulled in its highest medal count so far in the Athens Games. The team scored a record-breaking five gold medals, two silvers and three bronzes in a move that prompted hordes of sports fans to go online for the latest Olympic news.
According to data from Hitwise, the Olympics sector as a whole increased its market share by 14% last Saturday, with several websites devoted entirely to the Athens Games shooting up the Sports sector rankings following a surge from UK users.
BBC Sport saw its traffic increase by 17% as it capitalised on its ability to provide a host of ‘on demand’ interactive content relating to the Olympics. The site has reported a record 6.13 million users for its interactive section since the Games began earlier this month (see BBC Scores Record Interactive Audiences With Olympics).
The official Athens 2004 website also performed well in the second week of the Games with a notable increase in visits from triumphant UK users. The British team’s success helped the site rise from 201st place in the overall Hitwise rankings to a highly respectable 166th place.
Earlier this month research from Dynamic Logic revealed that sponsoring this year’s Olympic games in Athens has a far greater impact on American consumers than it does on those in Europe. The study found that one in four North American consumers claims to pay closer attention to adverts that mention or have some kind of association with the Olympics, compared to just 12 of Europeans (see Olympic Sponsorship Has Less Impact On Europeans).
Hitwise: 020 7378 3600 www.hitwise.com
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