Premier League popularity at an all-time high....

[marighand]

Who would've guessed it? :p

The website is receiving a HUGE, unprecedented spike in hits just as the new season begins.

http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?url=premierleague.com

[leg_breaker]

I don't know why, the quality isn't exactly any higher.

[Toon³]

Who would've guessed it? :p

The website is receiving a HUGE, unprecedented spike in hits just as the new season begins.

http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?url=premierleague.com

Could it be due to the season is starting again? :eek:

[marighand]

Well no shit man, but it's been higher than any preceding season's start. Probably has to do with the foreign marketing into Asia mainly.

[revelationx]

The main reason is obvious.

More people are getting online than ever before. More people online are getting better internet connections than ever before. It stands to reason that more fans are able to easily browse to that site than this time last year.

Of course there is a growth in fans too but the main reason is the one above.

[Posty]

The new Fox Sports coverage of the Premier League is fantastic. The quality of the picture is excellent no buffering just like watching the tv on yor laptop.

It's great for those of us who want to follow the premier league when in the US.

www.foxsports.com/fsc/soccer.video (http://www.foxsports.com/fsc/soccer/video)

[tjbirdsfan]

The Prem is gaining in popularity because its global branding is getting even more global. It is the most global sports league in the world, and the new Television contract proves that. When I used to wear a Man United Kit around in the US most people thought it was some team I was on. Now many more people (not even football fans) recognize the United crest.

[marighand]

The main reason is obvious.

More people are getting online than ever before. More people online are getting better internet connections than ever before. It stands to reason that more fans are able to easily browse to that site than this time last year.

Of course there is a growth in fans too but the main reason is the one above.

Wrong. Why do you say then that other websites are losing hits, the NFL.com is actually moving down gradually? They don't market their website, which has stayed the same design and features for a few years now and their fan base isn't growing at a high enough rate (ie, overseas and worldwide) to curb this. ESPN.com is also going down, and other sites too. The main thing is the PL's fan base (or market in business jargon) is growing and secondly it is the marketing of the website and its features (ie, fantasy, news, etc.) because they cater to more people, plain and simple.

Don't believe me? The most popular league in the US, perhaps the richest country with the most internet users, NFL has this breakdown when it comes to which country the people who visit their website are from.

United States 79.2%
Canada 3.7%
Mexico 2.2%
United Kingdom 1.4%
Hungary 0.9%

The top three are North American countries and the 4th is another english speaking nation. Not much global growth.


Meanwhile for the premierleague.com:

United Kingdom 25.8%
Malaysia 11.3%
Ireland 6.3%
Singapore 5.7%
Hong Kong 4.3%

Only 1/4 are from the UK, while I would venture to say that about 30-40% are from Asia. They are easily dominating the HUGE Asian market, somewhere which the NFL is only just now starting to dabble in.

[revelationx]

Wrong. Why do you say then that other websites are losing hits, the NFL.com is actually moving down gradually? They don't market their website, which has stayed the same design and features for a few years now and their fan base isn't growing at a high enough rate (ie, overseas and worldwide) to curb this. ESPN.com is also going down, and other sites too. The main thing is the PL's fan base (or market in business jargon) is growing and secondly it is the marketing of the website and its features (ie, fantasy, news, etc.) because they cater to more people, plain and simple.

Don't believe me? The most popular league in the US, perhaps the richest country with the most internet users, NFL has this breakdown when it comes to which country the people who visit their website are from.

United States 79.2%
Canada 3.7%
Mexico 2.2%
United Kingdom 1.4%
Hungary 0.9%

The top three are North American countries and the 4th is another english speaking nation. Not much global growth.


Meanwhile for the premierleague.com:

United Kingdom 25.8%
Malaysia 11.3%
Ireland 6.3%
Singapore 5.7%
Hong Kong 4.3%

Only 1/4 are from the UK, while I would venture to say that about 30-40% are from Asia. They are easily dominating the HUGE Asian market, somewhere which the NFL is only just now starting to dabble in.

I still think I am right. The USA has been one of the leading countries in the world for Internet and Broadband access. The % of Americans with Broadband access is and has always been higher than the UK. The percentage growth of Broadband users in the US from last year is very small and smaller than the UK. The vast majority of people viewing the NFL site are Americans. There has not been a significant & growth in the number of Americans who now have broadband and internet access compared to last year. There will have been a larger increase in people in Mexico who now have internet access and Broadband compared to last year. Are there more Mexicans viewing the NFL website than last year?

The number of people with better internet connections in countries like Malaysia and China is growing fast with large % growths year on year. In the markets where the EPL is popular (South East Asia + Africa and the UK) the number of Broadband users is growing significantly year on year, the exceptions being Singapore and South Korea who already have high broadband penetration levels. The markets where NFL is popular (the USA and Canada) are not experiencing this growth in broadband uptake as they already have high uptake, the exception being Mexico which has low internet penetration but high % growth.

Of course marketing plays its role, as well as the design and features of the website. If a website has an uninspiring design and lack of news and features then people will not return to it. My point was that many of the markets where the EPL has many existing fans now, are able to access the Premier League website more easily, more quickly for lower cost than last year.

I accept that there will be a growth in the number of fans. But the biggest increase in web traffic is that more existing fans can log on more regularly.
That's my opinion at least. I have no hard data to refer to (without paying) so I may be completely wrong ;)

[Matt Clark]

Actually, broadband penetration in the UK is higher than in the US - and has been for some time. July 2007 estimates place total broadband users at around 60m in the US (19%) and 14m in the UK (23%).

But the statistic most specific to this topic is the one that tells us China, whilst on penetration of only 4%, has a total user base that is second only to the US - and then only by a paltry figure: there are now 56m broadband users in China.

Given the demographic that is globally consistent for broadband users (25-40, significantly male) and the popularity of English football in China, you've got some pretty easy answers as to why online access to EPL content is growing as fast as it is. You're both right, essentially: the growth of the market, as well as the increasing ubiquity and intensity of the EPL marketing effort, are having a marked impact on recordable interest within that market sphere.

[revelationx]

Actually, broadband penetration in the UK is higher than in the US - and has been for some time. July 2007 estimates place total broadband users at around 60m in the US (19%) and 14m in the UK (23%).

But the statistic most specific to this topic is the one that tells us China, whilst on penetration of only 4%, has a total user base that is second only to the US - and then only by a paltry figure: there are now 56m broadband users in China.

Given the demographic that is globally consistent for broadband users (25-40, significantly male) and the popularity of English football in China, you've got some pretty easy answers as to why online access to EPL content is growing as fast as it is. You're both right, essentially: the growth of the market, as well as the increasing ubiquity and intensity of the EPL marketing effort, are having a marked impact on recordable interest within that market sphere.

According to the Guardian the USA has almost 53% broadband penetration figures - meaning 53% of US households have broadband.

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2102304,00.html

[marighand]

According to the Guardian the USA has almost 53% broadband penetration figures - meaning 53% of US households have broadband.

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2102304,00.html

Yeah, however the percentage you're talking about is based on households while Matt is talking about it in relation to the total population.

[Matt Clark]

Bingo.

[leg_breaker]

Yeah, however the percentage you're talking about is based on households while Matt is talking about it in relation to the total population.

So America has smaller households than Britain?

I'd say that both America and Britain have shit internet, when you compare it to Korea.

[alain_9510]

I really like the design of the new EPL site. Major improvement, though that's not saying much considering how bad the previous site was.

[beersoup]

I discovered last season that I had access to the EPL via DirecTV. I didn't realize that Fox Soccer covered the EPL as well as they do. Of course that didn't suffice and I also subscribe to Setanta. I watch any game I can. As a result of all this I frequently check the EPL website for updates. Of course I alone didn't create the rise in web traffic.


My only gripe is that I wish they would broadcast the games in HD (here in the US). I am sure that will come one day.

[masterklh]

The funny thing is... the EPL site looks attrocious. it looks very home made and not something that a multi billion dollar organization would put together. Aside from that I have never really went to the site as any main source of news. I have always just come to big soccer for the news and associated opinions on things.

This year however, they have the free online fantasy league with a chance to win a trip to england so i have been going there like crazy ;)

[marighand]

This year however, they have the free online fantasy league with a chance to win a trip to england so i have been going there like crazy ;)

Haha, me too that's the only thing I ever look at on that site....however I go probably 5 times or more a day. :o

[revelationx]

Haha, me too that's the only thing I ever look at on that site....however I go probably 5 times or more a day. :o


Hey, me too. That game might be the real reason for the spike in hits. Did they have it last year?

[marighand]

Hey, me too. That game might be the real reason for the spike in hits. Did they have it last year?

Oh yea they've had it for a few years now, donno how long exactly though.