World Cup effect: 14.1 million Australians hit sports sites in June

Australians went online for sport in record numbers in June, with the sports category reaching 14.1 million people, up 8.1% month-on-month, according to Ipsos iris data reported by AdNews. Ipsos iris is the digital audience measurement currency endorsed by IAB Australia. Users spent an average of 56.6 minutes across the month on sports websites and apps.

The FIFA World Cup, which kicked off in Mexico City on 11 June, drove the largest share of the increase. SBS Brand Group, the tournament's official Australian broadcast partner, grew its total digital audience 28.7% month-on-month, from 5.6 million to 7.2 million. Its dedicated SBS Sport audience jumped from 59,000 to 716,000, an increase of more than 11 times, while FIFA's own Australian online audience grew from 112,000 in May to more than 1.6 million in June.

Other codes contributed too. The NBA finals lifted ESPN.com.au 33% month-on-month to 3.1 million as Australians followed the New York Knicks, and AFL websites and apps reached 3.75 million people at around 36 minutes per person. Reach grew for both men (63% to 70%) and women (52% to 56%).

Beyond sport, news consumption stayed near saturation, with 21.6 million people using a news website or app in June, 95.7% of online Australians aged 14 and over, at around 3.12 hours per user for the month. The career category posted its highest year-on-year growth for a fourth straight month, up 10.7%, followed by travel, energy and utilities, homes and property, and health.

Why it matters for Australian media buyers: tentpole sport is still the most reliable short-term audience mover in the local digital market, and the World Cup numbers give SBS an unusually strong midyear sales story. The cross-category data also matters for planners; sustained growth in career, travel and utilities content points to where attention is quietly compounding outside the big entertainment and social platforms, which held steady at around 22.5 million total online Australians.

Sources: adnews.com.au (Ipsos iris June data)