World politics and sport dominated reader interest in June, found Ipsos iris data. Online travel brand readership hit its 2024 peak, as Aussies seek a mid-year break.
The US presidential debate was a hot topic on news websites and apps during June, as Aussies sought out the latest updates on Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and the 2024 US presidential campaign.
While international politics dominated the headlines, other breaking news and sporting events, both locally and globally, also captured Australians’ attention across news websites and apps.
Major stories, including toxic carcinogens in drinking water nationally, NSW’s win in State of Origin Game 2, the disappearance and subsequent discovery of British TV producer Michael Mosely’s body, the lead-up to the UK general election and the Euro Football Championship, had Australians flocking to digital news websites and apps as an essential source for their news.
More than 20.7 million people used a news website or app in June, reaching 96.8 per cent of online Australians aged 14+.
Ipsos iris showed that overall, 21.4 million Australians aged 14+ used the internet in June, spending an average of 4.5 hours online per day, or almost 135 hours for the month.
Search engines were the most consumed website and app categories in June at 21.3 million, followed by social networking (21.3 million), technology (21.3 million), retail, and commerce (21.1 million), and entertainment (21 million).
The end of the financial year sales had Australians searching for bargains, with the automotive category reaching its largest audience number this year at 12.2 million, up by 2 per cent or 276,000 month-on-month.
Key sports events including the men’s T20 Cricket World Cup, rugby league State of Origin, and the Euro 2024 Football Championships, saw consumption of sports websites and apps increase by 3 per cent (+383,000) in June.
Home and property also grew, up 3 per cent, or 452,000, on last month’s figures. The chilly weather may have driven people inside and onto their devices, with entertainment websites and apps also up significantly in June. The average time spent online for the month was up 8.3 per cent, with Australians consuming a considerable 129 minutes more on average than the previous month.
The travel category recorded its biggest audience number so far for 2024.
The rise was likely driven by the lead-up to the July school holidays, with many families seeking a mid-year break in the sunshine. End-of-year travel sales may also have contributed to the rise, as Aussies sought to secure a deal on their next holiday.
The largest audience increases month-on-month were tourist information, which jumped by 3.5 per cent to nearly 7.5 million, and hotel, resort, and home sharing, which increased by 3.1 per cent to nearly 7.9 million.
Ipsos iris, which officially launched in March 2023, provides accurate data about the 21.4 million Australians aged 14+ who access a wide variety of digital content and services across smartphone, PC/laptop, and tablet devices.
