• September 13, 2000

Nielsen//NetRatings today announced the launch of the first comprehensive global monitor of Internet traffic to Web sites covering the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The Nielsen//NetRatings Olympics Index will provide extensive reports of Internet traffic to key Olympics sites across 14 countries covering North America, Asia Pacific and Europe.

"The Web and its immediacy will be a valuable resource for people to quickly find out the latest results and news from Sydney. We will likely see spikes in traffic and usage as Web users log on first thing in the morning across the U.S.," said Allen Weiner, vice president of analytical services at NetRatings, Inc. "Given the logistics of the Sydney Games, most people will not wait until the evening programming to find out the scores, although they still will watch the games in the evening to witness the sheer thrill of a drama unfolding."