February Traffic Trends Reveal Mixed Results for Top U.S. News Websites

As February 2025 progressed, the latest traffic data from leading news websites in the United States showcased a notable downturn following a particularly eventful January. The trend highlights the volatile nature of online news consumption, affected by various factors, including major national events and shifts in reader engagement.

Traffic Decline Across Major News Sites

According to recent statistics, 11 out of the 50 most-visited online news outlets in the U.S. recorded an uptick in web traffic from January to February, while 19 sites experienced declines of 10% or more. This data comes in stark contrast to January’s performance, during which only nine sites saw losses while 21 experienced substantial gains of 10% or greater.

Significantly, February was marked by high-profile incidents, including an airplane crash in Washington, D.C., and tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which typically draw considerable public interest. However, these events did not translate into increased traffic for many online platforms.

Notable Traffic Drops

The Los Angeles Times, which had seen a remarkable increase in visits due to the historic wildfires affecting California, was the sharpest decline in February. The publication’s traffic plummeted 51% from January, slipping from 42.3 million visits to just 20.8 million. This followed a staggering 120% increase in January, indicating a more complex reader engagement pattern over the two months.

Interestingly, two sites did manage to increase their traffic by over 10%: political news site The Hill, which saw a 17% rise to 42.9 million visits, and the UK publication The Independent, which increased its numbers by 12% to 26.5 million visits. The Gateway Pundit, known for propagating unverified claims regarding the 2020 presidential election, saw a 9% increase, bringing it to 29.5 million visits.

Performance of Top News Websites

Among the 10 most-visited news sites, only the Associated Press (AP) noted a significant rise in traffic, with a month-on-month increase of 5.7%, totaling 122.8 million visits. Conversely, USA Today suffered the steepest decline in this category, dropping 19% to 128.8 million visits. CNN’s visits fell by 14% to 345.1 million, while BBC News experienced an 11% reduction, landing at 112.3 million. People magazine recorded the smallest decrease of 5%, with 150.6 million visits.

Year-on-year, the landscape appeared more mixed. The AP emerged as the standout performer for traffic growth, skyrocketing 76% compared to February 2024. The BBC also saw considerable growth with a 30% increase in visits. However, year-on-year metrics revealed that six of the ten leading sites lost traffic, with Fox News experiencing a minimal decline of less than a percentage point.

Major Year-on-Year Changes

Within the broader spectrum of the top 50 news sites, Athlon Sports reported the most considerable year-on-year growth, boasting an incredible 854% increase in visits to 41.4 million, followed closely by India Times at 82% growth to 23.9 million. The AP and publishing platform Substack also saw substantial growth, increasing by 71% and 71%, respectively.

Conversely, several sites, including notable British tabloids like The Sun and Daily Mail, encountered significant year-on-year declines. The Sun registered a staggering 62% drop in traffic to 21.6 million visits, while Business Insider saw a 33% decrease, landing at 48 million visits.

Conclusion

February’s web traffic figures for leading U.S. news websites depict a complex and fluctuating landscape in online readership. While some publications continue to grow and attract audiences, many others feel the strain of shifting viewer patterns and the competitive nature of digital news consumption. As news events unfold and audience interests evolve, the landscape of top news websites may continue to shift in the months ahead.