Leeds-based Goal.com is preparing to send 30 multimedia journalists to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil as it celebrates record breaking audiences for last month.
The global media brand says it recorded 50 per cent year-on-year growth in January across all platforms, with more than 1 billion page views from more than 50 million unique users.
And it credited the investigative reporting teams in Spain and Brazil for giving them the biggest football biggest news story of the month with the controversy around Neymar’s transfer to Barcelona which led to the resignation of club president Sandro Rosell.
Ben Warn, Managing Director of Perform’s consumer division, said: “The record traffic we saw in January is testament to the quality and speed of the reporting of the major global football news stories to break on Goal.
“Our coverage of Cristiano Ronaldo’s FIFA Ballon d’Or win created unprecedented levels of global engagement at the start of the month. Then we had all angles covered on the highest profile move of the transfer window – Juan Mata’s £37.1m switch to Manchester United.
“Top-level football is all about star power and entertainment, and in this World Cup year, we’re determined to continue giving our users the coverage they demand on the game’s biggest stories, players and personalities.”
Goal is part of Perform, which owns one of the largest digital sports rights portfolios with contracts covering more than 200 sports and their associated leagues, tournaments and events.
The company commercialises multimedia sports content across digital platforms, with revenues coming from a mix of content distribution, advertising and sponsorship. Puma and Mastercard are among the brands who have run major campaigns across Goal in recent months.
