YouTube’s Insane $36B Ad Revenue in 2024: Here’s How They Did It

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Summary

  • YouTube made a record $36B from ads in 2024, $10B of which was in Q4 alone.
  • YouTube is cracking down on ad blockers to boost revenue, podcasts are boosting viewership.
  • YouTube is dominating TV with 11.1% market share.

As a movie enthusiast glued to my YouTube screen, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news! Last year, this platform where we all gather to watch our favorite clips, broke its own record by raking in an astounding $36 billion USD! It was truly a historic year for YouTube, and I can’t wait to see them aim even higher next year, striving to surpass or at least match their impressive earnings of 2024.

It’s no wonder that YouTube users might find it unremarkable that the platform experienced a financially prosperous year. The prevalence of ads on YouTube has increased significantly, leading some viewers to voice frustration over the rising occurrence of longer, non-skippable advertisements. The sole method for bypassing these ads is by subscribing to YouTube Premium. Nevertheless, despite some users opting for premium services, these YouTube ads continue to rake in substantial income.

Based on data from Alphabet Inc., YouTube’s parent company, it was reported by Streamtvinsider that YouTube grossed an astounding $36.2 billion USD in 2024, exclusively through ad sales. Out of this figure, a significant portion of $10.473 billion was accumulated from October to December, marking the first instance where YouTube surpassed the $10 billion threshold for a single quarter due to advertising. The earnings from YouTube Premium subscriptions and YouTube TV were not disclosed, suggesting that there is additional revenue beyond the substantial ad income.

YouTube’s War on Ad Blockers Could Be Working

It appears that YouTube’s efforts to combat ad blockers might be successful, considering its impressive performance in the fourth quarter and overall viewership. In 2024, users started receiving notifications stating that using ad blockers goes against YouTube’s terms of service and must be deactivated to keep watching videos. Although some users are still finding ways around this, a straightforward solution is to subscribe to YouTube Premium.

Over the years, YouTube has experienced a substantial surge in viewers, accounting for approximately 11.1% of all television viewing during December. Notably, YouTube is now the prime destination for podcasts within the U.S., adding to its impressive viewership numbers. While platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have carved out a notable space for themselves by delivering short-form content, YouTube faces minimal competition overall. In contrast, growth in subscribers for Netflix stagnated towards the end of 2024, while Disney+ reported a loss of 700,000 subscribers during the same period. Given that consumers may be experiencing subscription fatigue, it will be intriguing to observe whether YouTube can generate even greater earnings in 2024 through free, ad-supported videos.

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2025-02-06 03:33