MUMBAI: The recently formed alliance between Foxsports.com and the MSN network contributed to a 265 per cent increase in site visitors to Foxsports.com.

This data is contained in the latest ratings from Nielsen//NetRatings. Last month the relaunched Foxsports.com on MSN was the fastest-growing sports website in the US with more than 9.4 million unique users.

The partnership between MSN and Fox Sports kicked off on 1 July. The redesigned site offers fans and marketing partners a rich blend of editorial content and fast, easy access to breaking news, scores, streaming video, game highlights and much more.

The increased traffic to Foxsports.com on MSN in July was propelled by several major sports events, including the Tour de France, the British Open, Wimbledon and the Major League Baseball 2004 All-Star Game, which aired on Fox.

Video streaming proved to be another significant performer on the new MSN site. Broadband users sought out millions of streams from Fox Sports and Fox Sports Net content, including clips from the Best Damn Sports Show Period; I, Max ; and the Regional Sports Reports.

Also, Foxsports.com debuted its sports and entertainment-themed area called Funhouse for MSN users. The Funhouse instantly became a highly viewed sections on the site, appealing to a broad cross-section of the global MSN audience. The area focuses on light, entertaining sports news including sports gossip and interviews from Best Damn Sports Show Period star Leeann Tweeden, photo galleries and off-beat sports columns.