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Dec 19, 2006

Fox Interactive Media Ranks #1 in Page Views; Yahoo! Sites Attract the Most Unique Visitors

RESTON, VA, December 19, 2006 - comScore Media Metrix today released its monthly analysis of U.S. consumer activity at top online properties and categories for November.  Fox Interactive Media topped all properties with 39.5 billion page views in November, primarily driven by the 38.7 billion pages consumed at MySpace.com, based on traffic from home, work and university locations.

 

While Fox Interactive Media supplanted Yahoo! Sites as the top Web property by page views in November, Yahoo! Sites retained the top spot in audience size with 129.9 million unique visitors.  Further, Yahoo's increased integration of AJAX technology may have had a dampening effect on page views, as the technology enables real-time site updates without the need to refresh a page.

 

An additional comScore analysis released this week highlighted the importance of including home, work and university audiences in measuring the Web's largest properties.  In fact, if university usage is omitted, the comparison of page views at Fox Interactive Media and Yahoo! Sites tells a very different story:  Yahoo! Sites, with 35.6 billion page views for November, would rank higher than Fox Interactive Media with 34.9 billion.

 

"Inclusion of online activity occurring at university locations is critical to producing accurate online audience measurements," said Jack Flanagan, executive vice president of comScore Media Metrix.  "The market was understandably perplexed by reports that offered seemingly conflicting opinions on whether Fox Interactive or Yahoo! had actually captured the top ranking in terms of page views."

 

"The difference lies in whether the online activity of college students, which represents nearly 15 million people, is included in the measurements - a critically important detail when measuring activity at MySpace.com, which is included in the Fox Interactive property," Flanagan added.  "Other research company reports claiming that Yahoo! had remained number one in page views did not include the important university segment. comScore is pleased to provide our clients with the unique ability to measure the full breadth of consumer activity online - including the activity of college students."

 

Holiday Season Draws Online Shoppers to Retail Sites

Shopping was top of mind with American consumers in November, as nine of the ten top gaining categories for the month were retail-related.  Online department stores represented the top gaining category in November (up 24 percent to 70.6 million visitors), led by Walmart.com, which grew 64 percent to 40.5 million visitors, Target Corporation with 33.2 million visitors (a 37-percent increase), and JCPenney Sites, which grew 44 percent to 16.8 million visitors.  Much of Walmart.com's steep increase was attributable to the rise in visitation to Wal-Mart Electronics, which saw a 155-percent increase to 7.9 million visitors. BestBuy.com (up 66 percent to 21.1 million visitors) and Circuit City Stores (up 55 percent to 15.7 million visitors) topped the list of consumer electronics sites.

 

Luxury gift site RedEnvelope.com led the jewelry/luxury goods/accessories category with 2.5 million visitors (up 14 percent), followed by Coach.com, which increased 28 percent to 2.3 million visitors, and Tiffany & Co., which grew 44 percent to 1.5 million visitors.  Overall, the category rose 21 percent to 18.1 million visitors.

 

The toy category saw a similar surge in traffic, growing 20 percent to 30.1 million visitors, highlighted by KB Toys's 108-percent increases versus the previous month to 3.6 million visitors, ranking as the second-fastest gaining site in November.  Toys "R" Us Sites also demonstrated strong gains, growing 75-percent to 13.9 million visitors.

 

Online Promotions Popular in November

Online promotions also drove significant Web traffic in November, with the Xerox Corporation heading the list of top gaining sites with 3.7 million visitors. The 114-percent increase was largely driven by traffic to www.letssaythanks.com, the Xerox-sponsored site that provides the opportunity to send a free postcard to American troops overseas.  In addition, Chunky Soup's "Click for Cans" NFL promotion ranked the Campbell Soup Company seventh on the list of top gaining sites in November, growing 86 percent to 4.4 million visitors.  

 

Top 50 Properties

In November, Yahoo! Sites again retained the number one position, attracting nearly 130 million unique visitors.  Wal-Mart surged into the top 10, claiming the number nine spot with more than 43 million unique visitors, a 59-percent increase from October.  Several other retail sites enjoyed increased traffic due to the start of the holiday shopping season as well.  Best Buy Sites, Sears Sites, and JCPenney Sites all entered the top 50 at positions, ranking 30, 32, and 39, respectively. Target Corporation experienced a 37-percent increase in visitors, and jumped eight spots to number 15, while Overstock.com climbed 13 spots and drew 23 percent more unique visitors (17.1 million) than in October.

 

Top 50 Ad Focus

During November, Advertising.com slightly extended its reach to nearly 148 million Americans online, or 85 percent of the U.S. online population.  Within the top 10, Casale Media Network inched up one spot to number five, reaching 64 percent of Americans online.  Advertising networks Blue Lithium and AdDynamix.com each gained four spots, capturing the number 10 and 19 positions, respectively.  Finally, Euroclick joined the Ad Focus ranking at number 22, while Bizrate.com and EA Online Games re-entered the ranking, with each entity reaching 9 percent of U.S. online population.

 


TABLE 1

Top 10 Gaining Properties by Percentage Change in Unique Visitors*

November 2006 vs. October 2006

Total U.S. Home, Work and University Internet Users

Source: comScore Media Metrix

Property

Oct-06

(000)

Nov-06

(000)

Percentage

Change

Rank by

 Unique Visitors

Total Internet Population

173,428

173,686

0%

N/A

Xerox Corp

1,748

3,747

114%

234

KB Toys

1,711

3,558

108%

250

OPRAH.COM

2,320

4,708

103%

193

TOPTVBYTES.COM

3,564

6,908

94%

132

BIDZ.COM

2,422

4,574

89%

198

Nintendo Co.

3,025

5,694

88%

165

Campbell Soup Company

2,348

4,375

86%

207

Toysrus Sites

7,975

13,922

75%

55

Sheknows

2,597

4,343

67%

209

Napster

3,384

5,578

65%

167

*Ranking based on the top 250 properties in November 2006.

 

TABLE 2


Top 10 Gaining Categories by Unique Visitors

November 2006 vs. October 2006

Total U.S. Home, Work and University Internet Users

Source: comScore Media Metrix

 

Oct-06

(000)

Nov-06

(000)

Percentage Change

Total Internet : Total Audience

173,428

173,686

0%

Department Stores

56,747

70,561

24%

Coupons

19,143

23,484

23%

Politics

8,629

10,460

21%

Jewelry/Luxury Goods/Accessories

15,035

18,134

21%

Toys

25,088

30,149

20%

Mall

30,020

35,376

18%

Consumer Electronics

51,985

59,982

15%

Retail - Music

22,860

26,316

15%

Sports/Outdoor

24,916

28,455

14%

Home Furnishings

36,877

41,264

12%

 

TABLE 3

Top 50 Properties

November 2006 

Total U.S. - Home, Work and University Locations 

Unique Visitors (000)

Source: comScore Media Metrix 

Rank

Property

Unique Visitors

(000)

 

Rank

Property

Unique Visitors

 (000)

 

Total Internet Users

173,686

 

 

 

 

1

Yahoo! Sites

129,932

 

26

Shopzilla.com Sites

22,387

2

Time Warner Network

119,684

 

27

AT&T, Inc.

21,884

3

Microsoft Sites

116,979

 

28

Real.com Network

21,593

4

Google Sites

108,280

 

29

Expedia Inc

21,391

5

eBay

83,021

 

30

Best Buy Sites

21,354

6

Fox Interactive Media

73,831

 

31

Bank of America

21,256

7

Ask Network

54,539

 

32

Sears Sites

20,786

8

Amazon Sites

52,619

 

33

Gannett Sites

20,236

9

Wal-Mart

43,038

 

34

ESPN

18,576

10

New York Times Digital

42,664

 

35

Comcast Corporation

18,113

11

Viacom Digital

39,618

 

36

E.W. Scripps

17,771

12

Wikipedia Sites

39,142

 

37

OVERSTOCK.COM

17,079

13

Apple Computer, Inc.

33,797

 

38

CareerBuilder LLC

16,774

14

Verizon Communications Corp.

33,268

 

39

JCPenney Sites

16,755

15

Target Corporation

33,185

 

40

FACEBOOK.COM

16,695

16

Weather Channel, The

32,215

 

41

Circuit City Stores, Inc.

15,671

17

CNET Networks

31,636

 

42

Photobucket.com LLC

15,639

18

YOUTUBE.COM

25,471

 

43

Weatherbug Property

15,586

19

United Online, Inc

25,420

 

44

EA Online

15,575

20

Adobe Sites

25,348

 

45

NFL Internet Group

15,142

21

CBS Corporation

25,193

 

46

WhitePages

15,087

22

Gorilla Nation Media

24,881

 

47

WebMD Health

15,051

23

Disney Online

24,814

 

48

ARTISTdirect Network

14,544

24

Monster Worldwide

23,677

 

49

Cox Enterprises Inc.

14,431

25

Lycos, Inc.

23,093

 

50

iVillage.com: The Womens Network

14,389

 


 


TABLE 4

Ad Focus Ranking November 2006 

Total U.S. - Home, Work and University Locations 

Unique Visitors (000) 

Source: comScore Media Metrix 

Rank

Property

Unique Visitors (000)

Reach %

 

Rank

Property

Unique Visitors (000)

Reach %

 

Total Internet Users

173,686

100%

 

 

 

 

 

1

Advertising.com**

147,924

85%

 

26

EBAY.COM Home Page

45,750

26%

2

ValueClick**

131,590

76%

 

27

CPX Interactive**

44,615

26%

3

Yahoo!

128,404

74%

 

28

Vibrant Media**

43,387

25%

4

Tribal Fusion**

119,468

69%

 

29

Undertone Networks**

42,928

25%

5

Casale Media Network**

110,668

64%

 

30

ContextWeb**

37,954

22%

6

AOL Media Network

109,864

63%

 

31

ABOUT.COM

37,077

21%

7

Google

104,313

60%

 

32

Business.com Network

27,632

16%

8

Vendare NetBlue - TrafficMarketplace**

102,464

59%

 

33

YOUTUBE.COM

25,471

15%

9

MSN-Windows Live

98,615

57%

 

34

Disney Online

24,814

14%

10

Blue Lithium**

94,026

54%

 

35

Lycos Network

22,879

13%

11

Burst Media**

92,375

53%

 

36

CNN

21,913

13%

12

24/7 Real Media**

91,268

53%

 

37

WEATHER.COM

21,321

12%

13

AOL

90,489

52%

 

38

GameDaily Custom Network

20,029

12%

14

YAHOO.COM Home Page

87,841

51%

 

39

The WebMD Health Network

18,771

11%

15

EBAY.COM

74,929

43%

 

40

ESPN

18,576

11%

16

Tremor Network

67,007

39%

 

41

IMDB.COM

18,500

11%

17

AdBrite**

66,501

38%

 

42

CareerBuilder Network

17,385

10%

18

PrecisionClick**

66,379

38%

 

43

REAL.COM*

17,308

10%

19

AdDynamix.com**

62,267

36%

 

44

FACEBOOK.COM

16,695

10%

20

Gorilla Nation Media Network

60,943

35%

 

45

EA Online Syndicated Games

15,591

9%

21

DRIVEpm**

58,959

34%

 

46

BIZRATE.COM

15,535

9%

22

EuroClick**

58,144

33%

 

47

EA Online Games

15,495

9%

23

MYSPACE.COM

57,242

33%

 

48

EXPEDIA.COM*

15,265

9%

24

Ask Network

54,539

31%

 

49

SuperPages

15,219

9%

25

MSN.COM Home Page

50,600

29%

 

50

WeatherBug

15,155

9%


Reach % denotes the percentage of the total Internet population that viewed a particular entity at least once in November.  For instance, Yahoo! was seen by 74 percent of the more than 173 million Internet users in November. 


* Entity has assigned some portion of traffic to other syndicated entities.

** Denotes an advertising network. 


About comScore Media Metrix

comScore Media Metrix, a division of comScore Networks, provides industry-leading Internet audience measurement services that report - with unmatched accuracy - details of online media usage, visitor demographics and online buying power for the home, work and university audiences across local U.S. markets and across the globe.  comScore Media Metrix continues the tradition of quality and innovation established by its Media Metrix syndicated Internet ratings - long recognized as the currency in online media measurement among financial analysts, advertising agencies, publishers and marketers - while drawing upon comScore's advanced technologies to address important new industry requirements.  All comScore Media Metrix syndicated ratings are based on industry-sanctioned sampling methodologies.

 

About comScore Networks

comScore Networks is a global leader in measuring the digital age. This capability is based on a massive, global cross-section of more than 2 million consumers who have given comScore permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behavior, including online and offline purchasing. comScore panelists also participate in survey research that captures and integrates their attitudes and intentions. Through its proprietary technology, comScore measures what matters across a broad spectrum of behavior and attitudes.  comScore consultants apply this deep knowledge of customers and competitors to help clients design powerful marketing strategies and tactics that deliver superior ROI.  comScore services are used by global leaders such as AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Verizon, Best Buy, The Newspaper Association of America, Tribune Interactive, ESPN, Fox Sports, Nestlé, MBNA, Universal McCann, the United States Postal Service, Merck and Expedia.  For more information, please visit www.comscore.com.


Contact:
Michael Rubin
Analyst
comScore Networks
(312) 775-6538
press@comscore.com