Meta Platforms is projected to surpass Google in digital advertising revenue globally by the end of 2026, and dethrone the search engine behemoth in the lucrative business, according to Emarketer.

The Instagram owner’s global net ad revenues are expected to reach US$243.5-billion in 2026, ahead of Google’s projected $239.5-billion, the market research firm said.

Meta’s Advantage+ automated ad suite has been gaining strong advertiser adoption due to its ability to streamline campaign setup and enhance return on marketing spend.

“In surpassing Google, Meta has essentially had many of its core strategies validated,” said Max Willens, principal analyst at Emarketer.

While Google has other growth avenues, including YouTube Premium subscriptions, but its broader business mix could make it harder to outpace Meta in ad revenue.

Analysts have said smaller platforms like Snap and Pinterest remain most exposed to ad budget cuts during geopolitical uncertainty as spending concentrates on larger platforms such as Meta and Google.

Emarketer said the driving force behind the change is Meta’s accelerated growth rate, which is forecast to increase to 24.1% this year from 22.1% in 2025. Google’s growth rate is expected to remain steady at 11.9% this year.

Direct rivalry

The social media giant intensified competition in the ad market after launching ads on WhatsApp and Threads, creating direct rivalry with platforms like Elon Musk’s X. Simultaneously, Instagram’s Reels continue to jostle with TikTok and YouTube Shorts within the lucrative short-video market.

Google, Meta and Amazon are projected to account for 62.3% of 2026 digital ad spending globally, Emarketer said.

Read: Jury finds Meta enabled child exploitation

The research firm added that recent court rulings against Meta and YouTube are not expected to materially impact the forecast, which was completed before those verdicts. — Jaspreet Singh, (c) 2026 Reuters

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