Travel engagement rose 7% during Christmas week and accelerated by a further 17% heading into the New Year, as Americans took to the roads and skies to travel for holiday celebrations. Interest shifted from travel logistics to travel inspiration: engagement in Road Travel (4x) and Travel Type (8%) peaked around Christmas, before a destination-led exploration in the final week of the year, with Europe (4.3x) and Travel Locations (2.2x) surging as New Year’s celebrations drove aspirational planning.
Gifting-driven engagement emerged ahead of Christmas, with growth across Video Gaming (50%) and Women’s Jewelry & Watches (2.3x), reinforcing their role as key gifting categories. Momentum continued into the following week across Style & Fashion (12%), as engagement shifted from gifting to New Year dressing, driving strong growth in Men’s and Women’s Clothing up 51% and 47% respectively.
Careers content saw increased engagement over the final two weeks of the year, rising 3% during Christmas week and a further 4% last week, driven by a New Year-motivated increase in Job Search (38%) content as career changes planned for 2026. This momentum was reinforced by a 34% increase in Personal Finance engagement, led by Personal Taxes and Stocks & Bonds up 57% , as attention turned to 2026 financial planning following the year’s biggest spending month.
Last week saw major wins at Critics Choice Awards driving Awards Shows page views up 36%. Growth was bolstered by Action & Adventure Movies up 2.4x as Avatar: Fire and Ash surpassed $1 billion globally, dominating the box office over the holiday period. Television was also up 12% during Christmas week with focus on holiday watching. Science Fiction TV grew over 2x as Chapter 2 of Stranger Things 5 was released with a further 48% growth as the final episode aired on Dec 31.
The holiday season drove amped up engagement with Sports (+3%) with major focus on Bowl Season as College Football and College Sports interest grew 2x. American Football surged 19% as NFL Christmas Day games were followed, while Soccer engagement increased 13% as English Premier League holiday fixtures saw major US interest. Soccer will continue to grow as we edge closer to the World Cup where Ozone is expected to reach 147M+ Americans set to engage with the major tournament.
Recent geopolitical developments drove 19% increase in engagement across Heads of State (News & Politics), while Ozone’s strict brand safety controls ensure advertisers remain protected throughout the coverage of events.
