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YouTube generated an estimated $40.4 billion in advertising revenue in 2025, according to research from MoffettNathanson. The figure exceeded the combined $37.8 billion reported for Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
The earnings also marked a reversal from the previous year’s position. In 2024, YouTube recorded $36.1 billion in ad revenue, while the four media groups together brought in $41.8 billion. Alphabet also said YouTube’s total revenue, including subscriptions, climbed above $60 billion in 2025.
YouTube’s ad business continued to expand through 2025. Alphabet reported fourth-quarter ad revenue of $11.4 billion, adding to earlier quarterly results of about $8.9 billion, $9.8 billion, and $10.3 billion. Growth across each quarter showed a steady rise in advertiser demand during the year.
The increase came as traditional media companies faced continued pressure from lower linear television audiences and high content costs. Media groups such as Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery remain large players in entertainment, yet their advertising businesses have faced weaker conditions as viewing habits continue to change.
More consumers now spend time on streaming services, short-form video, and creator-led programming, which has altered the distribution of advertising spending.
Moffett Nathanson also estimated YouTube’s total 2025 revenue at about $62.3 billion. In comparison, Disney’s media business generated $60.9 billion during the same period. The estimate did not include Disney’s parks and experiences segment. Even so, the comparison showed YouTube’s growing scale within the broader media industry.
Advertising remains a central part of YouTube’s business, but subscriptions also contribute a growing share of revenue. Alphabet said paid services such as YouTube Premium, YouTube Music, YouTube TV, and NFL Sunday Ticket supported overall growth in 2025. Subscription income helped lift total annual revenue above the $60 billion mark.
YouTube’s subscription business has taken on a larger role as competition in digital media grows. Traditional media groups also depend on recurring revenue from streaming services.
YouTube, though, operates with a wider mix of income, including subscriptions, advertising, and its creator-led platform. The combination gives the company several sources of revenue across its media business.
Furthermore, the company said it paid more than $100 billion to creators, artists, and media partners over the past four years. Those payments helped expand the range of content available on the platform across markets and audience groups. As viewership grew, advertisers continued to direct spending toward digital video, particularly where younger audiences remain active.
Also Read: YouTube Adds New Parental Controls to Limit Teens’ Shorts Screen Time
YouTube has continued to develop tools aimed at AI-generated content. On March 10, 2026, the company said it would expand its likeness-detection pilot to journalists, government officials, and political candidates. The system is designed to identify AI-generated impersonation and lets eligible users request removal when content breaks platform rules.
Although YouTube’s advertising business remains smaller than Meta’s, which reported $196.2 billion in ad revenue for 2025. The latest estimates suggest the platform now commands a larger share of media-related advertising revenue than several major traditional entertainment groups combined.
In addition, the new figures highlight how viewing habits have shifted. Digital video platforms attract more viewing time, while advertisers increasingly direct spending toward services with larger online audiences.
