News & Media Website Speed Benchmarks 2025
Performance benchmarks for news websites and online publications. Compare your media site against industry standards for ad-supported content delivery.
Top Performers in News & Media
Key Insights for News & Media
- News sites face the toughest performance challenges due to ad tech stack requirements.
- Header bidding and programmatic ads typically add 2-4 seconds to page load.
- CLS is the biggest Core Web Vitals failure point due to late-loading ad slots.
- AMP adoption has declined, but Core Web Vitals pressure is increasing.
- Sites that reserve ad space see 60% better CLS scores.
Optimization Recommendations
- Reserve explicit space for ad units to prevent layout shifts
- Implement lazy loading for below-fold ads
- Use aspect-ratio CSS for video embeds and images
- Consider server-side ad insertion for video content
- Optimize header bidding timeout (1-2 seconds max)
- Prioritize content over ads in loading sequence
Frequently Asked Questions
How can news sites balance ads with Core Web Vitals?+
Reserve space for all ad units using CSS (min-height, aspect-ratio), lazy load below-fold ads, set strict header bidding timeouts, and consider reducing ad density on mobile. Some publishers have seen improved revenue with fewer, faster-loading ads.
What CLS score is realistic for ad-supported content?+
While Google's threshold is 0.1, ad-supported sites should aim for under 0.15. Top performers achieve 0.05-0.10 by reserving ad space. The industry average of 0.25 is too high for passing Core Web Vitals.
Do paywalls affect Core Web Vitals?+
Poorly implemented paywalls can cause CLS when they appear after content loads. Best practice: render paywall server-side or use CSS to reserve space. Modal paywalls have less CLS impact than inline ones.
Test Your News & Media Website
See how your site compares to these industry benchmarks with a free speed test.