As fall got underway and people in the US turned to the traditional activities of the season—checking out the new TV lineups, watching NFL and college football, and returning to school—September web traffic increased significantly at sites in related categories, reports comScore:

• Entertainment – TV
• Education – Information
• Retail – Computer Software
• Sports

Here is comScore's list of web categories showing the greatest increase in traffic in September:

Key findings:

• Fall TV Lineup Draws Fans Online
  The beginning of the fall season sent Americans to TV sites for information on their favorite shows or to view episodes online, as the category grew 17% to 95.6 million visitors. Yahoo TV led the category with nearly 20 million visitors (up 63%), followed by AOL Television with 13 million (up 7%) and NBC Network with 11.4 million. CWTV grabbed the No. 10 position with 5.8 million visitors, nearly tripling its audience since August.
  
  "With nearly half of the US online population visiting television sites in September," says Jack Flanagan, comScore executive vice president, "it is clear that more than ever before, Americans are turning to the Web for entertainment."
  
• Students Kick Off the School Year
  As students hit the books in September, they also looked to the Web for information and resources. Education – Information sites and Computer Software sites both saw an increase in activity as classes resumed for students around the country. Education – Information sites grew 15% to 72.3 million visitors, making it one of the fastest-growing categories in September, led by Pearson Education with nearly 17 million visitors (up 40%), Hot Chalk with 13 million visitors (up 64%), and Classes USA with 8 million visitors (up 13%).
  
  The Computer Software category grew 14%, attracting 34.4 million visitors in September, led by Intuit, which grew 18% to 6.4 million visitors. Symantec Store followed closely with 6.2 million visitors (up 11%), while Wareseeker.com ranked third with 3.7 million visitors (up 76%).
  
• Competition Heats Up for Sports Nationwide
  Between the approaching Major League Baseball playoffs and the NFL season kickoff, sports were top of mind for many of Americans in September. The category reached an all-time high, attracting more than 98 million visitors, up 14% versus August. Yahoo! Sports ranked No. 1 with 38 million visitors during the month (up 32%), followed by ESPN with 29 million visitors (up 21%) and NFL Internet Group with 19 million visitors (up 19%).

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