Facebook's North America ad revenue overtakes media companies
Facebook's North American ad revenue has overtaken those of traditional media companies for the first time this year, according to figures from The Information. The trend could signal more woes for traditional media as ad budgets continue to shift from TV networks to digital. Facebook generated $9.1bn in advertising revenue in North America during the first nine months of 2016. In comparison, Comcast's North American revenue during the same period was $7.6bn, Disney's $6.7bn and CBS's $5.4bn. However, Facebook is still some way behind Google, which generated $21.5bn in North American advertising in the first three quarters of this year.

’s North American ad revenue has overtaken the money traditional media companies like CBS, Disney and Comcast make with ads in the U.S. for the first time this year, according to an analysis from The Information. This could be another sign of trouble for traditional media, as advertisers are increasingly shifting their budgets from TV networks to digital.

Facebook generated $9.1 billion in ad dollars in North America during the first nine months of this year, according to SEC filings analyzed for the report. Comcast’s North America ad revenue for the same time frame was $7.6 billion; Disney followed closely with $6.7 billion, and CBS trailed with $5.4 billion. A year ago, Facebook was still behind Comcast, with both companies generating ad revenue of $5.5 billion and $6.6 billion respectively during the first three quarters of 2015.

It’s worth noting that even with its explosive growth, Facebook isn’t getting anywhere close to Google, which generated $21.5 billion with advertising in North America during the first three quarters of 2016.

Also, these numbers alone don’t say much about the financial health of the companies involved. Comcast has a highly profitable internet access business, and media companies like CBS generate a growing percentage of their revenue with retransmission fees paid by TV operators to carry their programming.

In fact, CBS saw its profits rise during the last quarter due to a 32 percent jump in retransmission and affiliate fees. However, the flip side of this coin is that CBS’s broadcast ad revenue declined by 2 percent.

Facebook’s ad revenue on the other hand has been skyrocketing in recent months. The company generated a total of $7 billion during its most recent quarter, up from $4.5 billion during the same time a year ago.