CNN.com Redesign Boosts Web Video Traffic

Site increases 6% to 89.1 million video streams in November over last year

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/17/2009 1:19:17 PM

Early numbers are in following CNN.com's major redesign in late October, and the results look promising.

At the heart of the redesign was putting a major focus on web video, both news reports and features. The entire middle section above the fold of the homepage is now dedicated to video, putting it front and center.

The site is also launching more original web series, such as Freshman Year, following two freshman congressman, and a series following a musical group's tour of Asia.

In November 2009, CNN.com served 89.1 million video streams, a 6% increase over last year. CNN says that beat no. 2 MSNBC digital by 2.6 million streams and no.3 Yahoo! news by 36.9 million streams.

In terms of time spent watching video, CNN Digital brought in 215.5 million minutes that month.

In addition to streams, CNN.com was also the top website in the news and information category in total usage minutes, share and time per person, beating mainstays like Wikipedia and Weather.com

The revamped CNN site was primarily designed by HUGE, a Brooklyn-based digital strategy, design and technology company, part of IPG.