Emarketer projects Meta will generate $243.46B in global ad revenue in 2026, edging past Google’s $239.54B and marking the first time Google has ceded the top spot, with Meta’s ad revenue growing 24.1% compared to Google’s 11.9%. AI-powered recommendation systems and Reels have been the primary growth drivers, with Zuckerberg saying Instagram and Facebook Reels have surpassed a $50B annual run rate, while Meta’s automated buying system Advantage+ is tracking toward a $60B run rate. Google’s ad growth is being pressured by a growing YouTube subscription base that removes paying users from ad inventory, and its share of U.S. search advertising is expected to fall below 50% for the first time in over a decade as AI tools and platforms like TikTok reshape how people search.
