ESPNcricinfo enjoyed a record-breaking March around the globe, buoyed by the fans interest in the first portion of the ICC Twenty20 tournament and the Asia Cup.
According to data from independent research firm ComScore, Fans in India logged more than 350 million minutes of time with ESPNcricinfo in March – nearly seven times the amount of its nearest competitor, and a 92 percent increase compared to 2013. Fans spent more time with ESPNcricinfo’s content than the next nine major sites combined, and had more than double the unique users of its nearest competitor (nearly as many as the next three competitors combined).*
For the month, ESPNcricinfo’s Average Minute Audience (the average number of fans on the site in any minute of the month) was more than 7,800 Indian fans – more than six times the closest competitor.
The site’s leadership extended outside of India as well. Globally, cricket fans logged more than 1.1 billion minutes with the authoritative cricket site in March, a new record for the brand and a 149 percent increase on last year’s total. In fact, the site captured more than 75 percent share of the time spent by fans with the cricket category throughout the month.* ESPNcricinfo’s total reach was more than that of the next five competitor sites combined and the brands Average Minute Audience globally was more than 25,500 people.
ESPNcricinfo remained the world’s number one cricket website, with more users, minutes and page views than any other online cricket site in the world. The 14.6 million unique visitors to ESPNcricinfo is the second highest ever recorded for the site. In every region throughout the globe, ESPNcricinfo experienced double- or triple-digital increases in Unique Visitors and time spent for both the month-on-month and year-on-year periods. Fans also watched more video – with views increasing 75 percent globally compared to a year ago.
IPL ON ESPNCRICINFO
ESPNcricinfo also expects to continue to see strong traffic trends for April, with latter stages of the World T20 having taken place in April, and the start of the 2014 Indian Premier League (IPL). Fans will find comprehensive coverage of this year’s IPL season ongoing, and featuring a wide range of multimedia content across digital devices. On mobile, ESPNcricinfo is providing fans with coverage via the mobile web and through mobile apps on Apple and Android devices. The apps and mobile site feature all the key content that sports fans expect from ESPNcricinfo including comprehensive game coverage, pictures, commentary and match stats. With a dedicated IPL section, fans can easily select all the latest news from this year’s tournament.
ESPNcricinfo continues to harness the power of video as it covers the news and tell the stories of this year’s IPL tournament. Daily reviews and previews contextualize the tournament with ESPNcricinfo’s cricket experts, Match Point offering sharp, authoritative analysis. Similarly, ESPN journalists conduct live daily video ‘Huddles’ to dissect the day’s play, with guests including former players Ajit Agarkar, Isa Guha and Shishir Hattangadi offering their insights. Huddles will occur three times daily during the semi-finals and finals, along with daily Match Point.
Match Centre will offer in-game statistical analysis, allowing users to see innings-related batsman, bowler and player v player-related data and graphs – allowing fans a deeper understanding of the play.
