A big week for students, families and culture lovers across Ozone’s platform. A-level results day is driving a surge in Education and Family content, while the summer holidays continue to fuel a love of reading, and with Edinburgh’s Book Festival and Fringe both kicking off this week, there’s plenty more to come.
Topical News
Excitement is high as parts of Europe prepare for a series of astronomical events; a Solar Eclipse will take place on Wednesday, followed by the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. As Brits read up on how to catch the events, Science engagement soared 13%, with Space/Astronomy taking off a starry 2.3x, and Physics 56%. Engagement has been further pushed by the crash of part of a SpaceX rocket on the Moon, which has also contributed to a 30% growth in Tech & Computing engagement.
Back on Earth, hosepipe bans and increasing drought threats continue to hit the UK as yet another heatwave is expected this week. The dry spell has risen Home & Garden interest by 13% as Brits look for tips to save dried-out gardens, with Gardening spurting 16% and House Care growing 55%.
Elsewhere, Brits are checking their tickets after the numbers were called for a whopping £94m Euromillions jackpot. The eye-watering jackpot has pushed Shopping up 8%, driven by a 44% uplift in Lotteries & Scratchcards.
Finally, Video Gaming is up 3% after EA has been bought by by a Saudi-led group for $55bn, with ESports up 2.2x and Sports Video Games up 2x.
Seasonal Events
Students around the UK are prepping for a big moment as A-level results come out this Thursday. Anticipation has pushed Education up 23%, driven by Educational Assessment, up 2.4x. Secondary Education has also seen 57% growth and Postgraduate Education 69% as students prepare for next steps. With GCSE results day to follow next week, we can expect education momentum to remain high.
The results days have also contributed to Family & Relationships 10% growth, as parents seek advice on supporting their children, with Parenting Teens boosting 18% and Parenting 11%. This growth can also be attributed to increased interested during the summer holidays as parents look to keep kids busy.
The summer holidays is also making its mark on Books & Literature as audiences search for summer reads. Category engagement has risen 41%, with a focus on Fiction (+53%), Bestsellers (+12%) and Mythology (+25%). With Edinburgh’s International Book Festival starting on Saturday, we can expect engagement to remain high. Also in Edinburgh, Fringe officially kicks off this week, with growth in Comedy, Theatre and Dance all expected across the next three weeks of cultural festivities.
