Report: YouTube Short Of Predictions With $3.5 Billion Revenue In 2013

YouTube is third most-visited site on the Internet, but there are still some major questions as to how profitable it really is. The Information has published a report on YouTube’s 2013 revenue, and while the ultimate $3.5 billion total is a big one, it is short of analyst predictions.

Google does not provide revenue figures for its properties, so the new report is as close as we will get to an official take on YouTube’s profitability. After payouts to creators, YouTube’s revenue total dwindles down to $1.5 billion. The Information’s report claimed that YouTube is profitable, though it did not note any specific numbers.

The $3.5 billion figure pales in comparison to the $5.6 billion prediction eMarketer made at the end of 2013. That report expected YouTube’s ad revenue to increase by 51.4% between 2012 and 2013, but the actual total is $200 million short of the $3.7 billion figure eMarketer cited for 2012.

Subscribe for daily Tubefilter Top Stories

Subscribe

These disappointing revenue figures show that new CEO Susan Wojcicki has plenty of work ahead of her. When Wojcicki replaced Salar Kamangar in February 2014, it was seen as a move geared toward the goal of increased ad revenues, since Wojcicki is one of the most experienced employees in Google’s ad department. The crown jewel of her plan is Google Preferred, a new advertising program that hopes to make more revenue off YouTube’s most popular channels. If Google Preferred is working, we can expect YouTube’s ad revenue to soar in 2014, even if the site’s 2013 performance failed to meet expectations.

Share
Published by
Sam Gutelle

Recent Posts

Soccer media brand Footballco is coming to America with several key hires

Footballco is betting on the growth of soccer in the United States. Over the past few…

1 day ago

MatPat-founded Theroist reveals new apparel brand at ‘Creator in Fashion’ show

As the co-host of the Creators in Fashion show that took place on April 25, Matthew Patrick (a.k.a. MatPat)…

1 day ago

YouTube salutes its Shorts as ad revenue soars to $8.1 billion in Q1 2024

Alphabet's earnings report for the first quarter of 2024 sent its stock price soaring sky-high.…

2 days ago

Snap stock jumps 25% after Q1 earnings beat projections. Also, 9 million people are now paying for Snapchat+.

Snap has had a rocky couple of years: several quarters of flat growth or declines,…

2 days ago

On the Rise: Rob can heal your workplace wounds

Welcome to On the Rise, where we find and profile breakout creators who are in…

2 days ago

Chad Wild Clay and Vy Qwaint launch Spy Ninjas HQ, the first adventure park built on a YouTube IP

Four years ago, Chad Wild Clay and Vy Qwaint had an idea. They had spent…

2 days ago