How the Rugby World Cup has Captured Bing's UK Audience

Rugby searches have increased dramatically on Bing in the UK as England host the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Year on year the number of rugby related searches on Bing have grown substantially in the UK from one international competition to the next.

Search volumes increased by 147% from the 6 Nations 2013 to the 6 Nations 2014 (data taken during the championship of the given year, Feb + March), and 399% from the 6 Nations 2013 to the 6 Nations 2015.

65% of these searches in the past 3 years took place on mobile.

UK searches have also been increasingly more specific. The past 2 years has seen a reduction in General Terms like ‘Rugby’ or ‘6 Nations’ in place of more detailed search queries.

This year, the year of the World Cup, the momentum on Bing’s rugby related searches didn’t stop following the recent 6 Nations. Search volumes in the UK grew by 80% from April to August (the month following 6 Nations to the month before the World Cup).  

59% of all rugby searches in these months years took place on mobile.

Searches relating to Tickets (up 240% in the given timeframe) and Latest Updates ( 249% in the same timeframe) led the charge.

Then came the World Cup…

With the Quarter Finals taken place this weekend, we look forward to seeing how Bing’s UK audience responds to the knock out stages!