Last week’s teaser trailer launch for Grand Theft Auto VI – the latest, eagerly anticipated release in the hugely successful gaming franchise – drove reader engagement with our Video Gaming content.

With developer Rockstar Games officially launching the trailer shortly after it was leaked online, the one minute, 30-second sizzle for the game broke YouTube records with 93m views in 24 hours.

Hype and anticipation around GTA VI is expected to grow until its release in 2025, which is something we see across the Ozone platform around all major video game launches.

Grand Theft Auto teaser trailer steals the limelight

• +48% higher: Last week, huge interest in the Grand Theft Auto VI teaser trailer drove reader engagement with our Video Gaming category to the third highest seven-day total of the year. More than 1m page views were +48% higher than the 2023 weekly average.

• 1.5x growth: The game’s teaser trailer was leaked early meaning its official release was brought forward a day to Tuesday, 5 December. On that day, Video Gaming page views increased by more than half as our premium publishers covered the breaking story.

• Looking ahead: In the decade since GTA V’s launch, video games have crossed-over to the mainstream, driven by next-gen tech, accessible, story-focused gaming and the pandemic. In 2022, the UK market was worth £7bn, +17% higher than pre-Covid levels, and is expected to continue to grow (Ukie).

Take Action

• While GTA VI won’t be out until 2025, next year’s major game releases – including the latest Final Fantasy, Star Wars and Tekken games – offer brands the opportunity to reach more than 10m Video Gaming and Consumer Electronics fans across the Ozone platform when they are most engaged with the content that fuels their love for gaming culture.

About Reading the Nation

Reading the Nation will connect you to our broadcast-scale audience – who we see across the Ozone platform in their millions day-in-day-out – to unearth insights into their habits and behaviours when topics start to trend or big stories break.

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