Editor-DN
The tech news market is crowded with sites covering similar topics in largely similar ways. Nowhere is this more evident than during CES, when tech reporters and bloggers flock to Las Vegas to cover the latest developments in consumer technology. How the biggest names in tech news stack up when it comes to traffic, video views, demographics and social reach.
CNET dominates when it comes to traffic.
CNET may not be as buzzy as its successors, but at 21 years old, its audience is far larger. The site received 32 million unique visitors in November, three times the traffic of The Verge, Engadget and Wired. However, all are virtually flat year over year.
CNET also has the largest video audience.
CNET has a large audience for its product review-focused videos, with viewership dominating its competitors. Next comes The Verge, which has increased its focus on social video in the past year.
The Huffington Post has the most Facebook shares. Twitter goes TechCrunch.
When it comes to tech coverage, some of the hottest stories don’t come from purely playtech sites. Newswhip pulled data on the most popular sites on Facebook when it comes to tech news. No. 1 was The Huffington Post, whose tech stories were shared 1.1 million times from October to date, according to Newswhip, helped by its massive digital footprint. It is followed by The Verge, The Guardian and Wired. Tech sites fare better on Twitter, with TechCrunch, Engadget, Mashable and The Verge leading in share.
CPMs
When it comes to CPMs, The Verge ranks high. According to an agency executive, the site is charging $55 CPM for its pre-roll and $24 to $27 for its banners. Wired wants $25 for its banners (and $39 for its pre-roll spots), while Gizmodo is asking $12 for the display and $25 for its 15-second pre-roll. CNET’s video ads come with a $42 price tag.
Mashable and Wired have the most gender balance.
When it comes to demographics, tech sites tend to lean towards young people and men. Some have tipped the balance, though. According to comScore, women make up 44.7 percent of Wired’s audience. It’s even higher at Mashable, which has a 54.7 percent female audience (and like HuffPo, has a broad editorial mandate). Other sites hover around 33 percent female, though The Verge has been able to attract more female readers by hiring more female reporters and writing product reviews from a female perspective.
Wired has the richest readers.
When it comes to household income, there’s little difference between the big tech sites. Wired, though, has the highest percentage of readers with a household income over $100,000, followed by The Verge and CNET.
