Meta to overtake Google
Industry data projects Meta will surpass Google in global digital ad revenue this year, signalling a material shift in where marketers are spending. Analysts point to feed-native formats and AI-driven targeting—especially short-form video—as core drivers of Meta’s momentum. (emarketer.com)
Meta is on track to pass Google in digital ad revenue in 2026, ending Google’s long run as the biggest seller of digital ads. (emarketer.com) Emarketer said Meta will generate $243.46 billion in net worldwide ad revenue this year, versus $239.54 billion for Google. It also said Meta is set to move ahead of Google in the United States as well as globally. (emarketer.com) A year ago, Google still led by a wide margin. Emarketer put 2025 digital ad revenue at $214.06 billion for Google and $196.17 billion for Meta, which means Meta is projected to erase an almost $18 billion gap in one year. (emarketer.com) The shift follows faster growth at Meta’s ad business. Emarketer forecasts Meta’s worldwide ad revenue growth will accelerate from 22.1% in 2025 to 24.1% in 2026, while Google’s ad growth is expected to hold at 11.9% this year. (emarketer.com) Meta’s own results show why advertisers have been spending more there. The company reported $200.97 billion in 2025 revenue, up 22% year over year, with ad impressions across Facebook, Instagram and its other apps up 12% and average price per ad up 9%. (investor.atmeta.com) Emarketer said Meta’s gains are coming from ad tools that automate buying and creative work, including Advantage+, along with stronger monetization of Reels on Facebook and Instagram. In plain terms, advertisers are being promised more sales or clicks for each dollar spent inside Meta’s feed and video products. (emarketer.com) Google still runs a larger overall business than Meta. Alphabet said full-year 2025 revenue topped $400 billion for the first time, and its Google Services division grew 14% in the fourth quarter, led by Google Search and YouTube. (blog.google) But digital ad growth has been tilting toward social and other online platforms. WARC said global ad spending is expected to reach $1.17 trillion in 2025, with digital-first platforms taking nine in 10 new ad dollars and social media capturing the largest share of that incremental spend. (marketingdive.com) That helps explain why this ranking can change even if Google’s ad business keeps growing. Search ads remain huge, but more brand and performance budgets are moving toward feed-based products, short video and automated campaign systems that can absorb spending quickly across Meta’s apps. (emarketer.com) Emarketer said Google’s share of global ad spend has been falling since 2021, while Meta’s has been rising. Its 2026 forecast puts Meta at 26.8% of worldwide digital ad spend, just ahead of Google’s 26.4%. (emarketer.com) The forecast is still a forecast, not a reported result. But if 2026 closes the way Emarketer expects, the center of gravity in digital advertising will look less like search and more like the social feed. (emarketer.com)
