I try not to get so overwhelmed by mathematical options that I can confuse a smart free-agent signing with, say, Tommy Pham.
But yeah, when it comes to our business here, I do seek out indicators of all sorts. Probably way more than needed. Like, for example, I recently delved into our modest gains in Instagram follows -- around 30-40 a week -- in trying to determine the overall impact on our readership, viewership, listenership, etc.
Oh, for real.
Which led me, for this week's Site Stuff, to step back and try something a whole lot simpler: Are we actually being more read, more watched, more heard than we were a year ago?
Crazy in its simplicity, right?
Well, here were the results, based on data that compares Jan. 1-June 12, 2024, to Jan. 1-June 13 of this year, to ensure the various seasons wouldn't distort anything:
• Readership: It's up by about a million: 22,227,393 this year vs. 21,207,400 in the same span last year. The numbers are up for all three teams individually, as well, but the bulk came from, of all things, baseball. That's because our coverage of the Pirates' wretched start, notably our most-read piece in our financial reportat 116,954 all by itself, brought people here in a way that actual games never could. So it's not exactly some great reflection on the franchise that the Pirates' readership (barely) passed that of the Penguins in this span.
• Viewership: It's WAY up: 5,993,942 video views on YouTube vs. 4,665,268 in the same span last year, a stirring 22.2% surge. Here, too, the numbers are up for all three teams individually, but this is where the Steelers dominate for us, accounting for 76.4% of everything. That has plenty to do with the live-video 'Double Shot of Steelers' program Chris Halicke and I do every weekday, which debuted last August and now routinely brings total audiences of 20,000-plus. I can't say enough about this category, in general.
• Listenership: This one's the toughest to track, and so much so that, to be honest, there are times I just don't want to bother anymore. For one, an estimated 10% of our downloads take place on a platform that's got no data available to us. For another, we're seeing an increased movement toward people listening to podcasts on YouTube. Which seems weird, but it's very real. ... All that out of the way, Spotify, which is super-reliable, shows 371,667 episode plays in 2025 vs. 329,810 in the same span last year. Which is growth.
It's all growth, of course, and it's all welcome. It doesn't all align with revenue/expense movements, so it's not this simple, but it's the right foundation for all the rest.
SPECIAL-WORKER DRIVE: 705
Friday saw 1 new contribution to our special-worker drive to get our total to 711!
Thanks to everyone so far!
We're seeking reader help building a fund from which we can offer 1,000 massively discounted subscriptions for teachers, police, fire, nurses, other emergency workers and volunteers. They're $20 per contribution. We'll then sell these at two-thirds off the full annual price, and that'll remain their price forever.
• With the Steelers vanishing now for nearly six weeks, per the plan, we always try to get vacations out of the way. That'll include my own, July 11-17, back over to Serbia again to spend time with the family, this time taking Dara with me. She's been there before, but very briefly and not in any depth. This, I hope, will change that, as it did when I took Marko a couple years ago. I'm born and raised in Pittsburgh, but I'm intensely respectful of our family's roots.
• Chris will be taking his just before that, heading back to Texas for a spell. Taylor Haase will take hers at some point after the NHL Draft, the Penguins' development camp, free agency and all that summertime stuff.
• Pretty neat to see 19,877 page views on the U.S. Open coverage so far this week. Nicolas Lavigne's done good work, which was expected, but we couldn't have known if anyone would read it. Bodes well for coverage of future events of that type.
• If you're not ad-free, it's only for paying subscribers. If you aren't subscribed yet or if your subscription's expired: This is our subscribe page. From there, make sure you're logged in, tap on the link, and thumb down to the bottom for the SUBSCRIBE button to buy/restart at the monthly or annual level. We also offer mega-discounts for students and seniors.
• Feel free to add a good review on our Google business listing, our Appleand Spotify podcast channels and, arguably most important, our own official app pages, whether it's the Apple or Android version.
BACK TO BUSINESS
• Our page-view numbers were 911,474, with 30,829 unique users over the most recent full seven-day span, June 6-12. Our most-read original piece was Taylor's one-on-one interview with Kyle Dubas in Buffalo, N.Y., at 24,039.
• Our video views for the past week were at 278,397. I'm going to pause putting out the podcast numbers until we can get figures that are far firmer than what we have. See above.
• Thanks for reading and, as ever, for your support of this proud independent venture.
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THE ASYLUM
Dejan Kovacevic
5:04 am - 06.14.2025DowntownSite Stuff: Growth means growth
I try not to get so overwhelmed by mathematical options that I can confuse a smart free-agent signing with, say, Tommy Pham.
But yeah, when it comes to our business here, I do seek out indicators of all sorts. Probably way more than needed. Like, for example, I recently delved into our modest gains in Instagram follows -- around 30-40 a week -- in trying to determine the overall impact on our readership, viewership, listenership, etc.
Oh, for real.
Which led me, for this week's Site Stuff, to step back and try something a whole lot simpler: Are we actually being more read, more watched, more heard than we were a year ago?
Crazy in its simplicity, right?
Well, here were the results, based on data that compares Jan. 1-June 12, 2024, to Jan. 1-June 13 of this year, to ensure the various seasons wouldn't distort anything:
• Readership: It's up by about a million: 22,227,393 this year vs. 21,207,400 in the same span last year. The numbers are up for all three teams individually, as well, but the bulk came from, of all things, baseball. That's because our coverage of the Pirates' wretched start, notably our most-read piece in our financial report at 116,954 all by itself, brought people here in a way that actual games never could. So it's not exactly some great reflection on the franchise that the Pirates' readership (barely) passed that of the Penguins in this span.
• Viewership: It's WAY up: 5,993,942 video views on YouTube vs. 4,665,268 in the same span last year, a stirring 22.2% surge. Here, too, the numbers are up for all three teams individually, but this is where the Steelers dominate for us, accounting for 76.4% of everything. That has plenty to do with the live-video 'Double Shot of Steelers' program Chris Halicke and I do every weekday, which debuted last August and now routinely brings total audiences of 20,000-plus. I can't say enough about this category, in general.
• Listenership: This one's the toughest to track, and so much so that, to be honest, there are times I just don't want to bother anymore. For one, an estimated 10% of our downloads take place on a platform that's got no data available to us. For another, we're seeing an increased movement toward people listening to podcasts on YouTube. Which seems weird, but it's very real. ... All that out of the way, Spotify, which is super-reliable, shows 371,667 episode plays in 2025 vs. 329,810 in the same span last year. Which is growth.
It's all growth, of course, and it's all welcome. It doesn't all align with revenue/expense movements, so it's not this simple, but it's the right foundation for all the rest.
SPECIAL-WORKER DRIVE: 705
Friday saw 1 new contribution to our special-worker drive to get our total to 711!
Thanks to everyone so far!
We're seeking reader help building a fund from which we can offer 1,000 massively discounted subscriptions for teachers, police, fire, nurses, other emergency workers and volunteers. They're $20 per contribution. We'll then sell these at two-thirds off the full annual price, and that'll remain their price forever.
If interested: DK@DKPittsburghSports.com
INSIDE THE WORKS
• With the Steelers vanishing now for nearly six weeks, per the plan, we always try to get vacations out of the way. That'll include my own, July 11-17, back over to Serbia again to spend time with the family, this time taking Dara with me. She's been there before, but very briefly and not in any depth. This, I hope, will change that, as it did when I took Marko a couple years ago. I'm born and raised in Pittsburgh, but I'm intensely respectful of our family's roots.
• Chris will be taking his just before that, heading back to Texas for a spell. Taylor Haase will take hers at some point after the NHL Draft, the Penguins' development camp, free agency and all that summertime stuff.
• Pretty neat to see 19,877 page views on the U.S. Open coverage so far this week. Nicolas Lavigne's done good work, which was expected, but we couldn't have known if anyone would read it. Bodes well for coverage of future events of that type.
• If you're not ad-free, it's only for paying subscribers. If you aren't subscribed yet or if your subscription's expired: This is our subscribe page. From there, make sure you're logged in, tap on the link, and thumb down to the bottom for the SUBSCRIBE button to buy/restart at the monthly or annual level. We also offer mega-discounts for students and seniors.
• Feel free to add a good review on our Google business listing, our Apple and Spotify podcast channels and, arguably most important, our own official app pages, whether it's the Apple or Android version.
BACK TO BUSINESS
• Our page-view numbers were 911,474, with 30,829 unique users over the most recent full seven-day span, June 6-12. Our most-read original piece was Taylor's one-on-one interview with Kyle Dubas in Buffalo, N.Y., at 24,039.
• Our video views for the past week were at 278,397. I'm going to pause putting out the podcast numbers until we can get figures that are far firmer than what we have. See above.
• Our company social media: 61,903 followers on Facebook, 58,000 on X, 50,652 on YouTube, 16,812 on Instagram, 6,070 on Threads, 5,760 on TikTok, 2,686 on Bluesky
• We make mistakes. If you see one, email: Typos@DKPittsburghSports.com
• The Downtown HQ/shop's open Tuesday-Saturday, 12-6 p.m., and our company merch can all be had in our online store.
• Anything you need, email: Help@DKPittsburghSports.com
• Thanks for reading and, as ever, for your support of this proud independent venture.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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