Several major local and international news events, including Tropical Cyclone Alfred in Queensland, saw a surge in Australians turning to news websites and apps last month resulting in a 4.3 per cent rise in audience to 21.6 million people, the latest Ipsos iris data for March shows.
March was a particularly big news month, with Ipsos iris data reflecting how real-world events see Australians use digital services in times of crisis. This saw Australians spend an average of more than five hours during March consuming news content online.
As Tropical Cyclone Alfred hit landfall across southeast Queensland and northern NSW, Australians used news websites and apps for the latest updates on the cyclone’s path, intensity, expected landfall, potential impact and emergency preparations. Related stories covered school closures, transport disruptions, power outages, flood warnings (including specific suburbs at risk in Brisbane), road closures, resident evacuations, and rescue efforts, and the cyclone’s aftermath, including damage assessments and recovery efforts, also received significant attention.
Other local news stories, including the Shane Warne death cover up allegations, the Tesla class action lawsuit, the closure of retailers JeansWest, Katies, Rivers and Noni B, the final weeks of reality TV shows Married At First Sight and Australian Idol, and cast announcements for MasterChef Australia and The Amazing Race Celebrity, plus the start of the AFL, NRL and Super Rugby seasons and the Australian Grand Prix and the hopes of home grown driver Oscar Piastri, all garnered interest.
Big global news events also caught our attention, including the Oval Office confrontation between US President Trump, Vice President Vance and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenzky and the global fallout as a result, the travel chaos caused at Heathrow Airport following the nearby Hayes substation fire, the 2025 Oscars red carpet and winners, and the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa and subsequent investigations.
The chart below shows the News brands’ ranking during March 2025 by online audience size.
Energy supplier and utilities websites and apps jump 12.7 per cent year on year
There was an increase in the number of Australians using energy supplier and utilities websites and apps in March, up 12.7 per cent year on year to 10.3 million and by 1.2 million people month on month.
As the cyclone clean up began, Queenslanders’ usage of energy supplier and utilities websites and apps in March grew by +47.4 per cent compared to February reflecting the need for updates on affected services.
Other categories with the highest year on year audience growth in March were Automotive (up 13.4 per cent), and Homes & Property (up 8.3 per cent), followed by Career (up 7.4 per cent) and Games (up 6.8 per cent).
Australians’ average time spent online increases 12.3 per cent in March
Ipsos iris, Australia’s digital audience measurement currency endorsed by IAB Australia, showed that 22.127 million Australians aged 14+ used the internet in March.
Australians spent an average of 4.8 hours per day online in March 2025, an increase of 12.3 per cent compared to the same time last year.
The most consumed website and app categories in March were search (22 million), social networking (22 million), technology (22 million), retail (21.8 million) and entertainment (21.7 million).
Ipsos iris, which officially launched in March 2023, provides accurate data about the 22.1 million Australians aged 14+ who access a wide variety of digital content and services across smartphone, PC/laptop and tablet devices.
