Internet ad revenue up from last quarter; down from last year

Posted by Betsey Reinsborough on November 26, 2009 at 9:42 AM

The news on the future of Internet advertising revenue is both good and bad. According to an article by Editor & Publisher, the total Internet advertising revenue reported by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) for the third quarter of this year is down 5.4 percent from the same time last year.

The revenue, however, is up 1.7 percent from the second quarter of this year. Thus, even though the revenue taken in through web advertising is still down, it is on its way back up. The change between quarters corresponds to an increase from $5.4billion to $5.5billion in just three months.

The figures, which were provided to the IAB by PricewaterhouseCoopers, indicate a growth in future revenue. According to David Silverman, a PricewaterhouseCoopers partner, "While all segments of the media industry have experienced declines, online advertising revenue resilient and is once again showing signs of growth."

One area of advertising that has been showing particular promise is video advertising.

If, and when, these increasing ad revenue numbers are combined with online subscription fees, the rise in online revenue could signal an uptake in the present purportedly dismal advertising universe. Though still behind 2006 numbers, the increase is significant for both advertiser and investor confidence. And, really, we'll take what we can get.

Source: Editor & Publisher, PaidContent