It’s been a week of drama and excitement across screens and seasons. The League of Legends Championship and GTA 6 buzz sent gaming engagement soaring, while an Amazon Web Services outage pushed Tech & Computing to new highs as users followed the fallout. Half-term travel plans lifted engagement across getaways and hotels, while Halloween fever took hold.
Topical News
The League of Legends 2025 Championship is underway, sending Video Gaming flying high as fans of the game tune in to the esports event, skyrocketing Action Video Games by 5.5x and PC Games by 2x. This, coupled with the news of an upcoming announcement on the highly anticipated GTA 6, has surged the Video Gaming category by a heart racing 2.4x.
A fault with Amazon Web Services last week brought hundreds of online platforms to a standstill, leaving millions of users puzzled as systems went dark. The outage sent Tech & Computing readership soaring by 23%, subcategory Internet rose 37% and Computer Software & Applications shot up 2.1x as readers followed the chaos online.
The shocking death of US Chess Grandmaster, Daniel Naroditsky, has seen Chess content surge a huge 21.9x and Games & Puzzles 27%, driving the Hobbies & Interests category up 14% as fans of the game read up on the circumstances of the tragedy.
Housing buyer demand has dipped due to a market pause as buyers wait to hear changes in the upcoming Autumn Budget. As a result, Property is up 21%, with, Houses up 81% and Renting & Leasing 2.3x.
Seasonal Events
It’s half term in the UK, and our Audience Connection Platform is feeling the impact! Travel content was boosted 11%, driven by Hotels & Motels and Travel Type, engagement, which are up 2.1x and 28% respectively as families plan short getaway trips over the break.
With Halloween taking place on Friday, the spooky feels are ramping up. Horror Movies have surged a frightful 70%, whilst Paranormal Phenomena is up a spine-chilling 2.5x. Outdoor Decorating is also feeling the Halloween hype, up 4.5x as readers catch up on decorating inspo.
The nearing of Halloween also means that Christmas is around the corner, and Brits are already getting their festive shopping in! The Shopping category is up 34% – Children’s Games & Toys have risen 2.7x, and Ecommerce 71%. Holiday Shopping is also up 4%.
Strictly Come Dancing fans have been shocked after Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly announced their departure from the show after 11 years of co-hosting. The revelation has pushed Television into the spotlight, up 14%, with Reality TV surging 49% as fans speculate on who could replace the iconic duo, who will depart after the currently-airing 23rd season.
Looking ahead with Ozone’s audiences
Reach 26.3m – or 9 in 10 UK Bargain Hunters – through the shopping season. Broadcast your message to a massive, motivated audience of high-intent shoppers during peak shopping season
Ozone’s high-traffic coverage of gift guides, monthly deal roundups, and product features showcasing deals during big shopping moments, like Amazon Big Deal Days and Black Friday, connects you with savvy deal hunters actively searching for the best products and prices.
