YouTube hit some impressive numbers in 2025.
The platform brings in a whopping $40.4 billion in ad revenue, more than the combined $37.8 billion in ad revenue from Disney, NBC, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), according to new estimates from research firm Moffett Nathanson reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
This shift is a clear sign of how much content consumption has changed over the years, and how advertisers have adapted their strategies.
YouTube’s ad revenue in 2025 not only exceeded the combined revenue of the four major Hollywood studios, but also marked a significant turnaround from the previous year. YouTube’s ad revenue in 2024 was $36.1 billion, lower than Disney, NBCU, Paramount, and WBD’s combined ad revenue of $41.8 billion. The tables were turned.
These studios have been the kings of entertainment for decades, dazzling audiences with big-budget movies and hit TV shows. But as traditional studios struggle with declining terrestrial television viewership and ever-increasing production costs, YouTube is rushing ahead. Even as these companies pour millions of dollars into their streaming platforms, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with YouTube’s momentum.
Parent company Alphabet reported last month that YouTube’s total revenue in 2025 has soared to $60 billion. The majority of YouTube’s revenue currently comes from subscriptions, which include services like YouTube TV, YouTube Premium, YouTube Music, and NFL Sunday Ticket. (Incidentally, this is much higher than the $45.2 billion that Netflix reported for the full year.)
Disney, NBC, Paramount, and WBD also rely heavily on subscriptions. For example, Disney’s media business brought in a total of $60.9 billion in revenue last year, including subscription fees.
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That said, YouTube’s ad revenue still lags behind tech giants like Meta, which brought in $196.2 billion in ad revenue in 2025. Still, advertisers are flocking to YouTube because viewers, especially younger viewers, are spending time there. YouTube’s ad revenue reached $11.4 billion in the fourth quarter.
YouTube is also ramping up its investment in AI. The company announced this week that it is expanding its similarity detection technology to a pilot group of government officials, politicians, and journalists. This technology identifies AI-generated deepfakes and allows users to request their removal if they appear to violate YouTube’s policies.
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