Sports News Websites are Not Just for the Boys, Reports NPD Online Research

Posted on April 19, 1999

Sports sites are becoming more important to female Web users, according to an NPD Online Research survey that found 36% of females who go online retrieve sports news via the Internet. Nearly half (46%) of those females polled who obtain their sports information from the Internet reported that they now retrieve more sports news from the Web compared to six months ago. While most female Web users still go to the television as their primary source of sports information, 23% of females who indicated the Internet as one of their sports news resources reported the Web as their primary news source for sports.

Convenience was the most important reason that females use the Internet for sports information. Seventeen percent of those females reported accessing a particular sports news website at least once a day. When at work, 34% confirmed that the Internet is the first place they turn to for breaking sports news; at home, 20% said they turn to the Web first.

"The Internet has made sports information readily available in varying levels of detail to accommodate the differing tastes of both the avid fan and the casual spectator. As females surf from site to site, they have the opportunity of being exposed to different forms of sports information (e.g., advertisements, headlines, links)," says David Ow of NPD Online Research. "Additional coverage of sports issues is something for women's sites such as ivillage.com and women.com to consider. Even females who are going to sports websites for detailed information may appreciate getting headline information and more in-depth stories elsewhere."

NPD found that females mirror males in what they want from sports news Web sites. Females reported the following features as most important to sports news Web sites. Accuracy of information (89%) Up-to-date information (85%) Quality of information (79%) Ease of finding information (72%) Easy-to-read format (67%)