The Changing Landscape of Online News Traffic in the United States

Caption: Homepage of syndication website MSN

The recent analysis of web traffic trends among the largest news websites in the United States reveals some striking shifts in audience engagement. Based on data from Similarweb, every one of the top ten news sites experienced a year-on-year decline in traffic in October, with significant implications for both publishers and consumers.

MSN’s Significant Traffic Drop

Syndication website MSN faced the largest decrease in traffic, plunging 39.5% to 144 million visits. This steep decline makes it a noteworthy case study in the shifting dynamics of online media consumption. Despite remaining the fifth most visited site, its overall traffic decline raises questions about audience retention in a competitive digital marketplace.

In stark contrast, traditional powerhouses like the New York Post and USA Today also reported declines, albeit not as severe. The New York Post’s traffic fell by 33% to 97.7 million visits, while USA Today saw a 32% drop to 125.4 million.

Other Notable Trends Among Top Websites

As MSN continues to struggle, one site stood out by bucking the negative trend. Yahoo Finance experienced month-on-month growth of 10%, increasing its visits to 145.7 million. This growth suggests a heightened interest in financial news, particularly amid fluctuating economic conditions.

However, when looking at the broader picture, the trend of declining traffic is alarming. Only 12 sites among the top 50 managed to achieve year-on-year growth. Among these, The Times of India saw a remarkable increase of 43% to 25.2 million visits, indicating that regional sites may be gaining traction in the competitive news landscape.

Monthly Traffic Changes: A Closer Look

While year-on-year statistics depict a gloomy outlook, month-on-month comparisons reveal interesting movements. For instance, US-based political site The Hill led growth with a staggering 45% increase to 44.4 million visits. The Sun and Politico also saw solid uplifts, reporting 29% and 16% increases, respectively.

In contrast, NBC News experienced the biggest month-on-month decline, dropping 30% to 67.7 million visits. Interestingly, NBC had earlier recorded a spike of 54% in September, showcasing the volatile nature of news consumption in the face of current events.

Methodology Behind the Data

It’s crucial to note that Similarweb gathers its traffic data through machine learning and various modeling techniques. This data is derived from a mix of first-party analytics that websites choose to share, device data aggregation, and public data extraction from websites and apps. The top 50 sites categorized in this analysis focus on news and media publishers, with Specific attention devoted to refining the list to omit less journalistic entities.

September 2025 Traffic Dynamics

The trends recorded in September also offer insight into how audiences are consuming news. Notably, BBC and NBC News saw the most traffic growth within the ten largest news websites, with increases of 27% and 54% month-over-month. The BBC, even after launching a dynamic paywall for US users, managed to attract significant traffic, suggesting that quality journalism can still draw in engaged audiences.

The Impact of Paywalls and Content Strategy

The introduction of paywalls, like the dynamic model implemented by the BBC, is reshaping how news organizations are engaging with their audiences. This trend towards subscription services reflects a wider strategy to diversify revenue streams as digital advertising continues to falter. However, it remains a balancing act, as websites must tread carefully to ensure that they do not alienate potential readers.

The Year-on-Year Landscape

When looking back at the overall year-on-year data, the publication landscape appears riddled with challenges. The fastest year-on-year growth outside the top ten came from sources like Substack, gaining 39% to reach 74.9 million visits, and news aggregator platforms like News Break, which increased by 38% to 32.2 million.

Conversely, established names like Forbes and the Daily Mail have seen pronounced drops, further signaling a shift in audience preferences towards more niche, specialized content.

While the landscape for online news continues to shift, it’s evident that factors like content strategy, user engagement, and the implementation of paywalls are critical in shaping future outcomes for news sites across the US. As audiences evolve and adapt to emerging platforms, the ability for publishers to respond with agility will play a significant role in their long-term sustainability and success.