Sport and seasonal moments drove audience attention last week, as the Winter Olympics got underway, Super Bowl buzz carried on across screens, and awards season, Valentine’s planning and early spring occasions kept culture, shopping and food firmly in focus.
Topical News
The Winter Olympic Games began on Friday with the opening ceremony and competition getting underway on Saturday. The buzz has seen the Winter Olympics category skate its way up 7x, with Curling sliding an impressive 70x and Skiing jumping 2.3x. With events running until March 15, engagement is set to continue climbing. Read up on our Winter Olympics insight here.
It’s been a big week for sport on screen. The Super Bowl took place last night, delivering a spectacle both on and off the field. Bad Bunny made history during the halftime show as the first all-Spanish performance. We can expect conversation to continue into the week. Alongside the Winter Olympics, this has driven a standout week for Sports TV content, which is up 59% week on week.
An ‘out of date’ environmental policy has thrust road tax into the spotlight, rendering many otherwise roadworthy cars uneconomical due to rising VED costs. The Automotive category has driven up 28%, with interest in Diesel Cars up 2.1x, with SUV content rising 74%, Auto Type up 41% and Personal Taxes climbing 29%. With new car registrations arriving next month, Automotive engagement will continue. Reach an audience of 16m users right now.
Student loan freezes have sparked clashes in the Commons and boosted Education content by 15%, with University Life up 13.7x. Personal debt is also rising, with Personal Finance up 13%.
Seasonal Events
The 68th annual Grammys took place last Sunday, sending Music & Audio content soaring by a harmonious 36% as fans rushed to read up on which of their favourite artists took home the golden gramophone. Soundtracks & TV Shows content surged 4.9x, while Contemporary Hits / Top 40 saw a 22% uplift. The event also drove a striking 10.5x increase in Awards Show content, with Celebrity Style enjoying a 34% boost as audiences caught up on the best looks of the night. With the BRIT Awards and BAFTAs taking place towards the end of this month, you can reach 28.5m ‘Culture Vultures’ with Ozone. Read more.
Elsewhere, the lead-up to Valentine’s Day this Saturday has seen related content bloom as Brits look for the perfect ways to celebrate with loved ones. Gifts & Greeting Cards are up 73% week on week, while Party Supplies & Decorations have surged 4.4x. Meanwhile, Food & Drink content has bubbled up 14%, with the Dining Out subcategory growing by 29% and Desserts & Baking rising a sweet 13%. With Pancake Day next Tuesday and Mother’s Day on Sunday, 15 March, we can expect this content to remain firmly in the spotlight. Read more.
Over in Sport, the Six Nations kicked off with England landing on top in their thrilling clash against Wales on Saturday, sending Rugby content flying by 57%. With the tournament continuing into April, we can expect Rugby content to remain at high levels of engagement.
