YouTube Pumps Up Ad Sales 10.7% to $9.9 Billion in Q1

Apr 29, 2026 1:07pm PT YouTube Pumps Up Ad Sales 10.7% to $9.9 Billion in Q1 By Todd Spangler Plus Icon Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor xpangler Latest Ted Cruz Rips FCC Over ABC Broadcast License Review Following Kimmel Joke: ‘It Is Not Government’s Job to Censor Speech’ 6 hours ago Jane Fonda Slams FCC’s Review of ABC Licenses as ‘Naked Attempt to Weaponize Government Power Against Dissent’ 21 hours ago Trump’s FCC Orders ABC to File Broadcast TV License Renewals Within 30 Days in Wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s Melania Joke 1 day ago See All Getty Images Time spent viewing on YouTube, the internet’s most massive video platform, keeps growing at a healthy clip — and with it, YouTube continues to see a double-digit uptick in ad revenue. YouTube generated ad sales of $9.88 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 10.7% year over year. The growth is especially impressive off an already large top-line number. That came in shy of Wall Street analysts expectations for YouTube advertising revenue in the quarter to be $9.99 billion, according to StreetAccount. The results were part of the Q1 earnings report from Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube. Related Stories Ally Simpson Promoted to President of Television at North Road’s Kinetic Content For full-year 2025, YouTube generated more than $60 billion in revenue, including both advertising and subscriptions, according to Alphabet. Analysts say that makes YouTube the industry’s largest player in terms of entertainment revenue. Popular on Variety In a reflection of its growing Hollywood clout, YouTube last year inked a deal for exclusive global rights to the Oscars awards ceremony beginning in 2029 and running through 2033, nabbing the media rights from Disney’s ABC. In the U.S., YouTube is consistently the No. 1 most-watched streaming service on TVs, per Nielsen. Overall, Alphabet reported Q1 2026 revenue of $109.9 billion, up 22%, and net income of $62.6 billion (or $5.11 per share). That topped analyst forecasts of $107.2 billion in revenue and earnings of $2.63 per share. “2026 is off to a terrific start,” Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google, said in announcing the earnings. “Our AI investments and full-stack approach are lighting up every part of the business.” Pichai said Google Search had a strong quarter “with AI experiences driving usage, queries at an all-time high, and 19% revenue growth.” Google Cloud revenue grew 63% with backlog nearly doubling quarter on quarter to more than $460 billion. He also said Q1 was the company’s strongest quarter ever for its consumer AI plans, driven by the Gemini App. Jump to Comments ‘Erupcja’ Review: A Droll Charli XCX Enriches Pete Ohs’ Low-Key Relationship-Drama Charmer  ‘Balls Up’ Review: Ugly Americans Face the Wrath of Brazil in a Disposable Comic Jaunt for Mark Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser ‘Outcome’ Review: Keanu Reeves Is Loved by Everybody and Nobody in Jonah Hill’s Offputting Industry Satire Apple TV Horror Comedy ‘Widow’s Bay’ Walks a Tonal Tightrope to Bewitching Effect: TV Review ‘Trial of Hein’ Review: An Intriguing Brechtian Period Drama Puts Memory on Trial ‘Thrash’ Review: It’s Netflix and Chomp, as Phoebe Dynevor Stars in a Familiar but Gruesomely Competent Shark Thriller JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...