YouTube’s 2025 ad revenue totaled $40.4 billion, surpassing the combined $37.8 billion haul of Disney, NBC, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery, according to Moffett Nathanson estimates reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The platform’s Q4 ad revenue was $11.4 billion.
This reversal from 2024 highlights a shift in advertising budgets toward digital platforms over traditional media. YouTube’s total 2025 revenue, including subscriptions, reached $60 billion, exceeding Netflix’s $45.2 billion reported figure. In 2024, YouTube’s $36.1 billion in ad revenue trailed the $41.8 billion combined total of the four studios.
Alphabet, YouTube’s parent company, attributed the growth to a mix of advertising and subscription services such as YouTube TV, Premium, Music, and NFL Sunday Ticket. Traditional studios are grappling with shrinking linear TV audiences and rising production costs for their own streaming platforms.
Despite the growth, YouTube’s ad revenue remains significantly behind Meta’s $196.2 billion total for 2025. Advertisers continue to prioritize the platform due to its audience reach, particularly among younger viewers.
Separately, YouTube announced an expansion of its AI likeness-detection technology to a pilot group of government officials, politicians, and journalists. The tool identifies AI-generated deepfakes and allows users to request removals if they violate platform policy.
