Web Users Turn To Same Media Brands Offline

By: Visitors to news Web sites are more likely to use the same media brands offline, according to data released Friday by the Online Publishers Association (OPA) of New York.

In a survey of nearly 5,000 Internet users, OPA found that 56% said they were more likely to read, watch, or listen to the offline partner of the online outlets visited. Those with a "high affinity" for a particular Web site were even more likely to use its offline companion (66% high affinity vs. 23% low affinity).

The correlation was strongest among special interest (70%) and sports (60%) sites.

OPA also cited examples of Web sites driving print subscriptions. ESPN.com is the top source of new ESPN magazine subscriptions sent directly to the publisher, while The New York Times has received over 58,000 subscriptions from NYTimes.com since September. USAToday.com is the No. 2. source for new subscriptions to its print mother ship, and washingtonpost.com is the fastest-growing source of new suscriptions to The Washington Post. Boston.com generated nearly 9,000 new subs to The Boston Globe since September.