Leading Brands in the US News & Magazines Category: Q3 2023 Insights

Introduction

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, understanding audience behavior across platforms is crucial. Sensor Tower provides comprehensive insights into the performance of leading news brands in the US, such as CNN, Fox News Channel, and USA Today. This article explores their performance from Q2 to Q3 2023, focusing on monthly deduplicated audience metrics, app engagement, and advertising trends.

CNN

CNN is renowned for its comprehensive news coverage and has a robust digital presence through cnn.com and the CNN: Live & Breaking News app.

• Audience Trends: Over Q3 2023, cnn.com experienced fluctuating monthly visits, peaking at over 775M in August before declining to around 608M in September. The monthly deduplicated audience remained stable, averaging above 66M.

• App Engagement: The app's monthly active users decreased slightly, from approximately 2.2M in June to just under 2M in September, indicating a modest decline in mobile engagement.

• Ad Spend & Channels: CNN's monthly advertising spend peaked in July at over $3.3M, primarily through Facebook and OTT channels, delivering millions of impressions. By September, ad spend decreased significantly to under $800K.

Fox News Channel

Fox News Channel maintains a substantial digital footprint through foxnews.com and the Fox News: US & World Headlines app.

• Audience Trends: Foxnews.com saw a decrease in unique monthly visits, from over 89M in April to around 48M in September, with a consistent visits-per-unique-visitor ratio of about 11.

• App Engagement: The app's monthly active users remained stable, hovering around 1.1M throughout the quarter, reflecting steady mobile audience engagement.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Fox News Channel's monthly ad spend was minimal compared to its peers, peaking at just over $36K in August, with Facebook being the dominant channel.

USA Today

USA Today is known for its broad digital reach via usatoday.com and the USA TODAY: US & Breaking News app.

• Audience Trends: The website maintained stable unique monthly visits, averaging around 33M, with consistent engagement reflected in the visits-per-unique-visitor ratio.

• App Engagement: The app saw a slight decline in monthly active users, from approximately 204K in April to about 176K in September, suggesting a gradual reduction in app interaction.

• Ad Spend & Channels: USA Today's monthly ad spend varied, peaking in July at over $820K, primarily through desktop video and Facebook, generating substantial impressions.

Conclusion

The data from Sensor Tower highlights the dynamic nature of the News & Magazines category. CNN, Fox News Channel, and USA Today each showcase unique trends in audience engagement and advertising strategies. Sensor Tower's unparalleled cross-platform insights, including Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics, provide essential tools for understanding these trends and optimizing digital strategies. These insights offer a significant advantage for decision-makers looking to navigate the complex digital news landscape effectively.