YouTube Surpasses Disney, NBC, Paramount in Ad Revenue

YouTube has become the world's leading Media Corporation after earning over $40.4 billion in advertising revenue, surpassing the combined ad revenue of major stakeholders in the entertainment industry — Disney, NBC, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery - which together totaled $37.8 billion, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

This shift clearly signifies YouTube’s growing dominance in the media industry compared to traditional companies such as those listed above, which are struggling with rising production costs and declining audience engagement over the years. Aside from surpassing the combined revenue of major studios, YouTube has also seen a significant increase compared to its performance in 2024, when it generated over $36.1 billion in ad revenue.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for traditional media companies to compete with YouTube’s pace, even as they reportedly spend millions developing their own streaming platforms. YouTube’s parent company, Alphabet, also noted that its total revenue in 2025 soared to $60 billion. A major portion of this revenue comes from subscription-based services such as YouTube TV, YouTube Premium, YouTube Music, and NFL Sunday Ticket.

And when Subscription offering revenue is brought into the table, it is also safely noted that the big players still have a spot reserved like for instance, Disney’s media business has pulled in a total of $60.9 billion in revenue last year including subscriptions. Aside from that, YouTube isn't still the leader in the ad revenue chart because other tech companies like Meta still occupy that top position with its generated revenue in 2025 grossing over $196.2 billion for advertisements.

However, when subscription revenue is considered, traditional media companies still remain competitive. For instance, Disney’s media business generated $60.9 billion in revenue last year, including subscriptions. Additionally, YouTube is still not the overall leader in advertising revenue, as other tech companies such as Meta hold the top position, generating over $196.2 billion in ad revenue in 2025.