Royal passing: record online traffic registered while newsstand sales surge
National news brands attracted millions of readers as people across the UK, and beyond, sought out poignant reporting and heartfelt tributes to the Queen throughout the mourning period.
On the day that Her Majesty died online traffic rose by 53%, registering close to 96 million page views, with a total of 122 million minutes (+42%) spent on news brand platforms.
Circulation uplifts on the newsstand the next morning ranged between 60% to 100% compared to the previous week.
Bumper editorial online and in print – which ranged from live blogs and royal tributes to special reports and commemorative issues – continued through the 11-day mourning period marking respect for the late sovereign’s duty and service and the accession of the new King.
On the day of the funeral itself news publishers experienced huge volumes of traffic with 87 million page views (+31%) and a total of 114 million minutes spent consuming the news online.
Jo Allan, Newsworks CEO, said: “The tone, tributes, and comprehensive coverage of the Queen’s death in news brands has been remarkable in marking Her Majesty’s life with such honour and affection.
“News brands perfectly captured the sense of emotion across the country and have shown that when it comes to moments of huge significance how integral high-quality journalism is to the national conversation.”
Online numbers: Ipsos iris dashboard data, September 2022, all adults 15+ UK – uplifts based on average for day of the week since February 2022.
Circulation uplift range supplied by news publishers.
