LONDON, UK — Google parent company Alphabet had a blockbuster Q4 2020, thanks in part to YouTube ad revenue.
According to the research data analyzed and published by Comprar Acciones, there was an increase of 23.5% in revenue during the period to $56.9 billion. Earnings per share (EPS) soared by 45.3% to $22.30, against an expected $15.90.
Based on data from Statista, YouTube’s global advertising revenue in the quarter totaled $6.89 billion, up by 46% year-over-year (YoY). In that period, Google search and other ad revenue sources rose from $27.2 billion in Q4 2019 to $31.9 billion in Q4 2020.
During the first half of 2020, the early stages of the pandemic negatively impacted YouTube’s business. But it staged an impressive recovery in the second half as business and consumer activity regained adapted to the new normal.
Its ad revenue in Q1 2020 amounted to $4.04 billion, up from $3.03 billion in Q1 2019. But it was a significant decline from Q4 2019’s total of $4.72 billion. The figure fell further in Q2 2020 to $3.81 billion, before a remarkable rebound to $5.04 billion in Q3 2020.
On an annual basis, YouTube’s ad revenue for 2020 amounted to $19.78 billion, up from $15.15 billion in 2019. The figure accounted for roughly 10% of Google’s annual revenue, which was $181.69 billion.
YouTube’s ad revenue for 2020 was roughly a quarter of Facebook’s. According to Statista, Facebook’s ad revenue in 2020 totaled $84.17 billion, accounting for 97.9% of the platform’s global revenue. Together, YouTube and Facebook accounted for 49% of online video ad revenue in 2020. The duopoly’s share of the market is expected to surge to 51% by 2024.
Courtesy of the COVID-related online video consumption surge, Omdia estimates that video accounted for 47% of online display ad revenue in 2020. It projects that the share will increase to 52% by 2024 seeing as the trend is here to stay.
