Alphabet-Owned YouTube Ad Sales Hit a Record $11.06 Billion. Is YouTube Dangerously Close to Surpassing Netflix in Revenue?

Alphabet’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) YouTube has long been the leading user-created video platform, but the Google parent is so big that YouTube doesn’t get the same level of attention it would if it were a standalone company.

After all, YouTube makes up less than 10% of Alphabet’s revenue, and it pales in comparison to the massive Google Search business.

However, in the video entertainment arena, YouTube is a giant in its own right, and Netflix has long considered it its chief rival. YouTube just topped $10 billion in ad revenue in the second quarter for the first time ever, bringing in $11.1 billion in ad revenue, which doesn’t include subscriptions for YouTube Premium tiers.

At that level, YouTube is not far behind Netflix, which brought in $12.6 billion in total revenue in the second quarter.

Can YouTube catch the streaming leader? Let’s take a closer look.

Image source: Getty Images.

YouTube vs. Netflix

YouTube reported 12.8% revenue growth in the second quarter, slightly slower than Netflix’s 13.4%.

Netflix’s growth has slowed in recent quarters, and the stock has stumbled as investors worry about weak engagement, maturing markets, and its eagerness to make an acquisition, which suggests it is searching for its next growth leg. The streamer sees even slower growth in the third quarter, calling for an 11.7% increase in revenue.

YouTube’s growth rate has fluctuated within a similar range, between 9% and 21%, over the last ten quarters.

Though they have different business models, with Netflix charging a monthly fee to watch traditional television and movie programming, and YouTube selling ads alongside user-generated content, both platforms are highly profitable. Netflix reported an operating margin of 33.4% in the second quarter. Alphabet does not report operating margins for YouTube, but Wall Street analysts estimate it to be somewhere in the teens. YouTube shares revenue with content creators, which decreases its margins. Alphabet’s Google Services business, which is mostly made up of advertising, reported an operating margin of more than 40% in the second quarter.

Netflix and YouTube have also borrowed from each other’s playbooks in recent years. YouTube, once an entirely free service, has begun selling premium subscriptions for everything from music to traditional pay-TV to NFL Sunday TIcket.

Netflix, on the other hand, launched its advertising tier a few years ago, and it continues to be one of its strongest sources of growth for the company, and it’s aiming to double ad revenue from $1.5 billion to $3 billion this year.

A win-win

Netflix’s lead over YouTube, though narrow, looks safe for now. While the two companies are competitors, there’s room in the market for both to succeed, as they serve different niches. Though Netflix sees all viewing time as competition, it’s often serving a different use case than YouTube.

Investors can’t invest directly in YouTube, but both of these platforms look poised for continued success and are likely to continue learning from each other. Expect both to continue delivering double-digit growth in the years ahead.

Jeremy Bowman has positions in Netflix. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Netflix. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.