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Is Bebo Next?
August 08, 2006
Last night's announcement that News Corp.'s Fox Interactive Media has signed a multiyear deal to use Google search to direct traffic across its network of internet sites, including MySpace.com, led us to check Hitwise to see what our data could say about the deal. We immediately noticed that Bebo had overtaken MySpace for the first time ever in the UK based on weekly visits. If the deal with Google indicates that Rupert Murdoch got the deal of the decade, it begs the question, is Bebo next?
Before we dig in, I should mention that MySpace is still #1 among social networking sites in the US.
Bebo surpassed MySpace in weekly market share of UK internet visits to become the most visited social networking site in the UK for the week ending 5th August. Bebo had overtaken MySpace in daily visits on two individual days in May, but this marks the first time the site has overtaken MySpace in weekly visits. The most recent surge in visits to Bebo was likely driven by the launch two weeks ago of the site's music service, dubbed "Bebo Bands".
In the UK, Bebo's market share of visits has grown 17% in the past two weeks, whilst MySpace has seen its market share decline slightly. You can see from the chart below that visits to both sites were softening as summer set in until two weeks ago when Bebo started to shoot up again. Bebo led MySpace by 3% in market share of visits last week, with one in every 135 UK internet visits going to Bebo. The site also became the 11th most visited site on the internet, up from #17 two weeks ago. For average session duration, Bebo also continues to maintain its lead on MySpace, with visitors spending an average of 28:58 minutes on the site, compared with 26:26 minutes for MySpace.
Bebo Bands seems to have re-energised Bebo's membership base to boost visits to the site at a typically slow time of year for social networking. In May, we predicted that Bebo would overtake MySpace in share of UK visits at the start of the new school term, as the summer is typically a slow time for the site. The launch of Bebo Bands brought members back to the site and it shot ahead of MySpace ahead of our projection.
Whilst Bebo surpassed MySpace based on UK visits, MySpace remains the most popular social networking site in the US with 50.18% of category visits. MySpace is also the #1 social networking site in Australia, with 16.68% of category visits, whilst Bebo is #1 in New Zealand, Xanga in Hong Kong and Friendster in Singapore.
Posted by Heather Hopkins at 12:03 PM
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Comments
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Posted by Kerr | August 9, 2006 02:45 PM
This is probably because lots of people are too stupid to use myspace! It's much more complicated than bebo. Bebo is just a myspace wannabee! Myspace the movie. 1 month later, bebo is having a ' bebo the movie' competition. Because it's lameee!
Posted by Tom Preston | January 17, 2007 07:37 AM
no its not i love bebo myspace is sooo gay c0s it takes up 2 much time 2 do ur homepage it doesnt mean wer stupid u loser
Posted by Hannah Lomde | March 1, 2007 03:41 PM
no its not i love bebo myspace is sooo gay c0s it takes up 2 much time 2 do ur homepage it doesnt mean wer stupid u loser
Posted by Hannah Lomde | March 1, 2007 03:43 PM
Bebo is loads better since it came out. Everyone talks about it as if it was the bestest site to find your friends or classmates
Posted by 2sweet2sugar2honey | March 21, 2007 03:03 PM
bebo is the new pink lol
lol its fun to keep in touch wit all yr friends and family bebo rocks
Posted by HOTMAMA | April 26, 2007 12:21 PM
bebo is da best it is sooo cool u can talk 2 all ur friends and make cool things
Posted by melanie | June 20, 2007 04:32 PM
Awesome
Posted by Chory | August 8, 2006 11:48 PM