YouTube Ad revenue surpasses major traditional media companies, study finds

According to the report, the Google-owned platform earned approximately $40.4 billion in advertising revenue last year, exceeding the combined $37.8 billion generated by The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery.

However, when Fox Corporation is included, the five traditional media companies together would still surpass YouTube with a combined $44.8 billion in advertising revenue.

The findings mark a shift from 2024, when YouTube recorded $36.1 billion in advertising revenue, slightly behind the $41.8 billion generated collectively by Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.

YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc., shares a portion of its advertising income with content creators. Under its current model, creators receive 55% of advertising revenue generated from standard videos, while the company retains the remaining share.

The report also highlights YouTube’s growing dominance in television viewership in the United States. Data from Nielsen shows that the platform accounted for a 12.5% share of US TV viewing in January, exceeding the combined streaming viewership of Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Among subscription-based streaming services, Netflix was identified as the closest competitor, recording an 8.8% share of television viewership. However, Netflix currently generates comparatively less revenue from advertising.

Beyond advertising, YouTube generated nearly $22 billion in subscription revenue in 2025. The growth was driven by services such as YouTube TV, YouTube Premium, YouTube Music and the NFL Sunday Ticket package.

Despite YouTube’s strong performance in the media sector, its advertising income remains smaller than that of Meta Platforms, which reported $196.2 billion in advertising revenue in 2025. Alphabet, YouTube’s parent company, also generated approximately $224.5 billion from search advertising during the same period.

Analysts Michael Nathanson and Robert Fishman of MoffettNathanson noted that YouTube’s scale and structure position it strongly for future growth, particularly as artificial intelligence-driven video content and short-form media continue to expand.