YouTube recorded a record advertising revenue in 2025—$40.4 billion, surpassing the combined figures of Disney, Paramount, and Warner‑Bros.

YouTube outpaced the largest Hollywood studios in advertising revenue

A Moffett Nathanson study published in TechCrunch showed that YouTube’s ad revenue reached $40.4 million in 2025. That is more than the combined advertising revenue of Disney, NBC, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), which together earned $37.8 million.

A year ago the situation was reversed: in 2024 YouTube brought in $36.1 million from ads, while the four Hollywood studios generated $41.8 million. However, the platform’s accelerated growth and declining interest in traditional television forced the “broadcast kings” to make way for a new player. Studios that have attracted audiences with expensive blockbusters and series for decades now face rising production costs and audience churn, especially among younger viewers.

Not Just Advertising
In 2025 YouTube’s total revenue was $60 million. A significant portion of this came from subscriptions to YouTube TV, YouTube Premium, YouTube Music and NFL Sunday Ticket broadcast rights. For comparison, Netflix’s annual revenue was $45.2 million, and Disney’s media business (including all income sources) reached $60.9 million.

Global Context
Despite beating Hollywood studios, YouTube is still not the global leader in advertising revenue. Meta (owners of Facebook and Instagram) earned a record $196.2 million from ads in 2025. Nevertheless advertisers are increasingly moving to YouTube along with their audiences: only in Q4 2025 did the platform attract $11.4 million.

AI Investments
YouTube is also ramping up its AI investments. This week it announced an expansion of its deep‑fake detection testing program. Government officials, politicians and journalists will now have access to it, allowing faster removal of AI‑generated content that violates platform policy.