This year’s global news cycle was filled with many memorable events, from the unstoppable rise of Taylor Swift and the Paris Summer Games to strange weather patterns, the premieres of Deadpool & Wolverine and Dune and important elections . From January to December, there was no shortage of great stories.
As the year comes to a close, it’s time to dig deeper, category by category, into the most captivating topics for online audiences in the countries where Taboola monitors the reader.
Taboola put together a snapshot of the complete categories of readers and the top stories that defined them. We’ve broken down the top topics both in the U.S. and globally, providing a comprehensive look at what caught readers’ attention. The analysis has hundreds of millions of reader views of news articles on the Taboola publisher network worldwide from January 1 to November 12.
US topics
Main news
Unsurprisingly, the election was the story of the year, with a staggering 42.6 billion page views. From the switch of the Democratic Party from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris, to chaotic debates, political issues and Election Day on November 5, there was no shortage of conversation. The election captivated a global audience, with important debates on health, climate change and national security. The dramatic change in leadership, coupled with intense voter turnout and staggering levels of misinformation, ensured that political news remained at the forefront throughout 2024. It was a year not only of political power shifts, but of significant cultural and social debates, which made this election one for the history books.
Top news by page views:
| news | Total page views |
| choice | 42,614,562,000 |
| Midnights: Album by Taylor Swift | 2,677,710,600 |
| Olympic Games | 1,752,453,800 |
| NFL draft | 892,239,000 |
| Boeing Aircraft Problems | 558,109,400 |
| Jeffrey Epstein files made public | 255,356,400 |
| Met Gala | 141,887,800 |
| Kentucky Derby | 124,797,600 |
| US Open | 119,623,200 |
| Alec Baldwin Manslaughter | 93,424,600 |
Prominent people in business
Business and money go hand in hand, so it’s no surprise that the richest person in the world, Elon Musk, with a net worth of $263 billion, is the most read person on our list of business figures , reaching 1,000 million. pages viewed Musk’s diverse business ventures, spanning electric vehicles, space exploration, AI, neurotechnology and social media, have cemented his position as one of the world’s most influential people. Additionally, its recent association with the upcoming presidency of President-elect Donald Trump has only increased its public visibility.
Main people in the company by page views:
| Business leader | Total page views |
| Elon Musk | 1,027,072,000 |
| Jeff Bezos | 144,023,000 |
| Mark Zuckerberg | 114,264,400 |
| Tim Cook | 23,468,400 |
| Bob Iger | 21,351,200 |
| Sergey Brin | 15,778,400 |
| Larry Page | 8,297,800 |
| Satya Nadella | 6,970,800 |
| Jensen Huang | 6,132,600 |
| Reed Hastings | 4,952,000 |
Main TV programs
When it comes to the best American TV show of 2024, Hacks wins for readers, accumulating 102.6 million page views. Hacks combines smart, character-driven writing with strong performances, especially from Jean Smart, and offers a fresh perspective on the world of comedy. It sheds light on an unlikely and special friendship between comedian Deborah and LA writer Ava, despite their nearly 45-year age difference. Overall, Hacks balances humor with heart, making it both entertaining and uplifting, and its renewal for Season 4, set to air in 2025, shows just how much impact the series has had.
Top TV shows by pageviews:
| Television program | Total page views |
| Hacks: Season 3 | 102,664,000 |
| Batman: Caped Crusader: Season 1 | 685,564.00 |
| Sunny: Season 1 | 55,423,400 |
| True Detective: Night Country | 36,333,600 |
| Fallout: Season 1 | 33,034,600 |
| Shōgun: Limited Series | 20,131,800 |
| Baby Reineer: Limited Series | 19,902,200 |
| The Boys: Season 4 | 16,964,000 |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 12 | 15,889,200 |
| Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Limited Series | 10,205,600 |
The best award shows
Among the many popular awards shows held throughout the year, the Oscars dominate as the most read, with an astounding 643.7 million page views. This year’s Oscars show will be remembered for a number of unforgettable moments, from Barbenheimer’s playful banter between Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling, which sparked a lot of buzz and memes, to Jon Cena’s daring outfit when presented the Best Costume Award (hint: it was). t implies clothes).
There were also standout performances from Ryan Gosling, who brought his signature charm to “I’m Just Ken,” and Billie Eilish, whose hit “What Was I Made For?” captivated the crowd. Jimmy Kimmel’s Donald Trump roast, which had everyone talking the next day, added political satire to the event. Plus, heartfelt acceptance speeches from Emma Stone, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Robert Downey Jr. they captured the night’s emotional highs, making this year’s Oscars not just a celebration of movies, but also a reflection of broader cultural moments.
Main award programs for page views:
| Awards show | Total page views |
| Oscars | 643,717,200 |
| Grammy Awards | 157,248,000 |
| Golden Globe Awards | 71,150,000 |
| SAG Awards | 43,368,800 |
| CMA Awards | 15,028,000 |
| Audience Choice Awards | 14,265,200 |
| Tony Awards | 10,848,600 |
| Video Music Awards | 10,117,800 |
| ESPY Awards | 9,056,400 |
| Awards of the Academy of Country Music | 5,843,400 |
global issues
The best athletes
The 2024 Paris Summer Games caused great excitement around the world; in fact, NBCUniversal reports that viewership for the Paris Games, led by NBC and Peacock, saw an 82% increase compared to the 2020 Tokyo Games, averaging 30.4 million viewers and the The opening ceremony drew 28.6 million, the most since 2012. When it comes to the World’s Most Read Athletes, we were surprised knowing that the top five on our list didn’t compete at the Summer Games shows the global interest in different types of sports and teams.
Shohei Ohtani, the star Japanese baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers (and 2024 World Series Champions) took the top spot with the most page views globally with a total of over 1.9 billion. And while the World Series is an American sporting event, Taboola’s readership data revealed that Japan had more online interest in the World Series than the US, thanks to widespread support for Ohtani and the Dodgers.
Top athletes by page views:
| athletes | Total page views |
| Shohei Ohtani | 1,928,698,000 |
| Kylian Mbappé | 1,592,055,400 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 878,879,400 |
| Lionel Messi | 817,914,200 |
| Patrick Mahomes | 693,661,800 |
| Novak Djokovic | 689,135,400 |
| Caitlin Clark | 605,464,800 |
| Mookie Betts | 570,994,800 |
| LeBron James | 451,720,400 |
| Neymar | 358,809,000 |
Top notch musicians
Taylor Swift may be “Miss Americana,” but she’s definitely “Miss Worldwide,” according to Taboola readership data. Moving into 2023 and continuing throughout 2024, Taylor Swift proved unstoppable and dominated the news cycle for her new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” world tour and movie, high-profile relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. , and ongoing “Easter Eggs” revealing new surprises to their fans. Taylor Swift is the #1 most read musician, amassing over 3.2 billion page views, and we weren’t surprised.
Top musicians by page views:
| musicians | Total page views |
| taylor swift | 3,291,045,600 |
| Kanye West | 777,805,200 |
| Ed Sheeran | 526,531,000 |
| Beyoncé | 380,216,600 |
| Adele | 260,051,600 |
| Drake | 229,592,800 |
| Katy Perry | 221,367,000 |
| Justin Bieber | 205,383,400 |
| Shakira | 173,065,200 |
| Rihanna | 162,410,000 |
Top Movies
While IMDB reported Inside out 2 as the biggest money maker of 2024, our data shows it Deadpool and Wolverine tops the list of most read movies this year, generating more than 563 million page views. Movie buffs of all stripes flocked to see them Deadpool and Wolverine for its action-packed sequences, irreverent humor and countless cameos that paid homage to the wider superhero universe. This film revitalized the genre by embracing the chaos and self-awareness that defined its characters, something many have claimed the superhero film industry has lacked in recent years.
Also, in an era of increasingly formulaic superhero movies, Deadpool and Wolverine stood out by offering a fresh and irreverent take that not only entertained but also sparked widespread discussion on social media. Compared to other big releases this year, Deadpool and Wolverine’s The ability to generate excitement and engage fans in a meaningful way shows how even within an established genre, there is still room for innovation.
Top Movies by Pageviews:
| movies | Total page views |
| Deadpool and Wolverine | 563,049,200 |
| Dune: second part | 249,305,400 |
| Joker: Folie à Deux | 162,696,800 |
| Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – In training Hashira | 69,504,800 |
| Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | 63,998,200 |
| Gladiator II | 57,501,800 |
| Challengers | 55,929,200 |
| tarot | 51,381,800 |
| Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga | 47,555,800 |
| Bob Marley: One love | 38,765,000 |
Main health trends
After analyzing this year’s health trends around the world, sleep has become the most read global health trend in 2024, accumulating more than one billion page views. While this is #1 on our list, it’s worth noting that 50% of the top trends are exclusive to women, highlighting the current state of interest in health.
According to McKinsey research, sleep is consistently the second highest health and wellness priority among consumers, and also the area where consumers feel they have the most unmet needs. With the rise of wearable technology, global interest in science-backed podcasts like those led by Andrew Huberman, and sleep-focused health studies, including an October 2023 study published by The Lancet, which drive a global call to action on sleep health. the importance of sleep and its connection with all aspects of health has become one of the priorities.
Top health trends by pageviews:
| Health trends | Total page views |
| to sleep | 1,136,293,600 |
| Women’s Health | 193,752,000 |
| ozempic | 49,453,400 |
| Products for pregnancy | 30,945,000 |
| menopause | 12,768,800 |
| Sexual Health | 10,738,200 |
| fertility | 4,182,400 |
| Dressing devices | 2,375,000 |
| Gut health | 1,929,400 |
| Vintage products | 1,872,200 |
As the new year quickly approaches, these stories are likely to continue to be of great interest to readers across the country, as evidenced by Taboola’s data. In addition to covering new stories in 2024, publishers should consider revisiting these topics when planning their content for the coming year.