- Mike Shields

NEW YORK The audience for AOL’s celebrity-gossip-themed TMZ.com skyrocketed to record levels in June, most likely the result of the site’s intense coverage of Michael Jackson’s death.

The site reached a record 11.7 million unique users last month, representing a surge of 31 percent vs. the 8.9 million users reached during the same month last year, according to comScore. Overall, the combination of TMZ and AOL’s sister celeb-themed blog PopEater drew 13.5 million uniques last month, representing a 36 percent spike vs. May 2009. Jackson died at age 50  on June 25, and TMZ was one of the first -- if not the first -- publishers to confirm the famed King of Pop’s passing.

Since then, the site has pursued the story behind the death, as well as the subsequent intrigue surrounding the fate of Jackson’s estate, children and legacy, vigorously -- resulting in heavy user interest. According to comScore, the site generated 279 million page views in June, an increase of 10 percent versus the previous month.

Plus, TMZ’s mobile site and iPhone app combine to set a new one-day traffic record, delivering over 11 million page views on June 25.


Nielsen Business Media