The 10 NBC Owned Television Stations websites logged 16 million unique visitors during the month of August, a 33% increase over the prior August, according to NBC. The sites also recorded more than 150 million page views during the month, a 35% boost over the same month last year, with repeat visits growing by 43%. NBC Owned Stations relies on internal web metrics.
The sites have gone through multiple iterations the last few years, including the Locals Only motif in 2008 under then group president John Wallace, which cast the station sites as breezy forums for nightlife, fashion and other local lifestyle content. Earlier this year, not long after the Comcast–NBC Universal merger was finalized, the NBC group scrapped the Locals Only branding and rebooted the sites as more robust news outlets.
NBC Owned Stations attributes the recent growth to a pair of technology upgrades. HTML5 was rolled out across all 10 sites, ensuring their compatibility with mobile devices. A video hub was also launched, making it easier for viewers to access and share local news and information.
The group also pushed a major social media initiative in early 2011, which resulted in a 94% increase in Twitter referrals and a 34% boost in Facebook referrals compared to the prior year, according to NBC Owned Stations.
"Between our major site redesign and recent technology enhancements, our digital platforms are well-positioned to support the expanded commitment to local news by the NBC-owned stations while delivering our audiences a go-to source for local news," said Greg Scholl, president of local integrated media, NBC Owned Television Stations.
