IAB Says Internet Ad Revenues Rose to $17 Billion in First Half of 2012

NEW YORK–In the first half of 2012, Internet advertising revenues climbed to an all-time high of $17 billion, a 14 percent increase year-over-year,as compared to the $14.9 billion reported for the first six months of 2011, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Internet Advertising Revenue Report.

Second quarter Internet ad revenues for 2012 hit $8.7 billion, up from $7.7 billion during the same time period in 2011. The report also indicates that mobile revenue was up 95 percent to $1.2 billion in half-year 2012 (from $636 million in the comparable 2011 period).

Display-related advertising in the first half of the year added to approximately $5.6 billion, up 4 percent from the first half of 2011. Specifically, digital video saw an increase of 18 percent year-over-year, bringing in a little over $1 billion in revenue.

“The tremendous growth of mobile advertising revenue over the past year is an indication of the importance of location to advertisers and mobility to consumers,” said David Silverman, a partner at PwC US, which prepared the report.

The survey includes data concerning online advertising revenues from websites, commercial online services, free email providers and other companies selling online ads. The full report (available at www.iab.net/AdRevenueReport) is issued twice yearly, for full and half-year data.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau is comprised of 500 media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86 percent of online advertising in the United States.