NEW YORK, NY (February 13, 2008)—Consumer magazine websites averaged 67.5 million unique monthly visitors during the fourth quarter of 2007, it was announced today by Nina Link, President and Chief Executive Officer, Magazine Publishers of America (MPA). That marks an 8.1% increase over the same period in 2006, when 62.5 million unique visitors logged onto magazine websites.  The increase is more than three times the rate of growth for the overall U.S. Internet audience, which rose 2.4% in the fourth quarter. The information, compiled for the first time, is based on a MPA analysis of Nielsen Online-supplied data from 320 consumer magazine brands online.

The analysis also showed that the average fourth quarter monthly reach for magazine websites grew to 41.9% of the total U.S. Internet population, posting a 7.1% gain over fourth quarter 2006. Magazine website users accounted for an average of more than 434.3 million sessions per month during the fourth quarter, a 12.3% improvement over the same period last year, in which an average of 386.6 million sessions were recorded. In addition, visitors to magazine websites spent an average of more than 1.78 billion minutes per month during the fourth quarter, resulting in a 5.5% increase versus the same three-month period in 2006.

“These figures illustrate the growing prominence of magazine brands online,” said Ms. Link.  “Magazines have long been masters at attracting consumers to their print pages, and now they are doing the same for the web audience, creating branded digital experiences through compelling content, innovative applications and robust communities.”

She added, “It’s important to note that the surge in online traffic to magazine websites is taking place while readership of the core print brand has grown over the last several years.” 

Websites were included in the report if they met one of the following criteria:

·         That the website is branded with the name of a printed consumer magazine or a former hard copy consumer magazine that now publishes only online

·         That it is a website that represents an aggregated group of magazines, which draw from or extend the brand of the individual magazines, and/or offers readily identifiable magazine content (e.g. Epicurious.com, CNNmoney.com)