In July, major news stories and sporting events captivated Australians, driving a surge in news consumption. Ipsos iris, Australia’s digital audience measurement currency, reported that 20.1 million people used news websites and apps during the month. On average, Australians spent five hours per month consuming news content.
Sports played a significant role in attracting news consumers. The State of Origin and Ashes series, in particular, ignited immense interest and engagement. Lisa Muxworthy, the Editor-in-Chief of news.com.au, expressed her excitement over the website’s continued dominance as the most-read news source nationally.
July was an eventful month for sports enthusiasts, as they were treated to high-profile events like Wimbledon, the Ashes series, and the Women’s World Cup football tournament. These sports, combined with regular NRL and AFL coverage, contributed to the increased news consumption.
Apart from sports, other news topics that piqued Australians’ interest included the rental crisis, the Voice Referendum, and entertainment stories such as the Logies and the untimely demise of singer Sinead O’Connor.
The growing appetite for news was reflected in an overall increase in online activity. Australians aged 14 and above spent an average of 3.8 hours per day, or 117 hours per month, online in July. This marked a 4.9% increase compared to the previous month.
Among the various website and app categories, social networking took the lead with 20.9 million users, closely followed by search engines (20.9 million), technology (20.8 million), and retail and commerce (20.6 million). The energy supplier/utilities category experienced the largest audience growth of 12.0%, while events and attractions and sports saw increases of 7.2% and 4.7%, respectively.
Furthermore, the launch of the films Barbie and Oppenheimer sparked a remarkable surge in the events and attractions category, coined as Barbenheimer. The Ashes series and the Women’s World Cup football tournament also contributed to the rise in sports-related consumption.
As for social media, 99% of all online Australians engaged with social networking websites or apps in July. Online dating platforms experienced a notable 13.4% increase, reaching 3 million users. Instant messaging was used by 19.2 million people, followed by email with 17.7 million users, and online forums with 12.7 million users.
Facebook, Messenger, and YouTube emerged as the leading social networking brands, with widespread appeal across various demographics. Instagram was particularly popular among women under 40, while TikTok dominated the under-25 age group. LinkedIn appealed to women aged 25-39 and men aged 40-54, while X (Twitter) enjoyed a predominantly male audience, with the largest age group being men aged 25-39. Reddit’s largest audience also fell within the same male age bracket.
Overall, the news consumption landscape in Australia experienced a significant boost in July, fueled by captivating sporting events and a range of compelling news stories. As Australians spent more time online, their interests extended beyond traditional news content, leading to increased engagement with social media platforms, online dating sites, and other digital services.
