In the first half of 2012, internet advertising revenues climbed to an all-time high of $17 billion, representing a 14 percent increase year-over-year, according to IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report released today by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and prepared by PwC US. In the first half of 2011, internet revenue was $14.9 billion.
Also marking a 14 percent year-over-year increase, second quarter internet ad revenues for this year hit $8.7 billion, up from $7.7 billion during the same time period in 2011.
Highlights of the report include:
- Mobile generated significant growth – almost doubling year-over-year figures – up 95 percent to $1.2 billion in half-year 2012 from $636 million the comparable period in 2011
- Digital video, a component of display-related advertising, saw an increase of 18 percent year-over-year, bringing in a little over $1 billion in revenue in the first two quarters of 2012 compared to nearly $900 million in the first six months of 2011
- Search revenues in the first half of the year totaled $8.1 billion, up 19 percent from nearly $6.8 billion during the same timeframe in 2011
- Display-related advertising revenues in the first half of the year totaled almost $5.6 billion, accounting for 33 percent of 2012 half-year revenues, up 4 percent from $5.3 billion in the first half of 2011
- Retail advertisers constitute the largest category of internet ad spending for the first half of this year, claiming 20 percent of the total revenues at $3.4 billion, while Automotive brought in $2.2 billion for first-half 2012, marking an uptick to 13 percent versus 11 percent of category spend reported for half-year 2011 at $1.7 billion.
Annual Figures
The following chart highlights half-year Internet ad revenue since the IAB began measurements in 1996; dollar figures are rounded.
| Year | Revenue | % Growth |
| HY 2012 | $17,028 | 14% |
| HY 2011 | $14,941 | 23% |
| HY 2010 | $12,127 | 11% |
| HY 2009 | $10,900 | -5% |
| HY 2008 | $11,510 | 15% |
| HY 2007 | $9,993 | 26% |
| HY 2006 | $7,909 | 37% |
| HY 2005 | $5,787 | 26% |
| HY 2004 | $4,599 | 40% |
| HY 2003 | $3,292 | 11% |
| HY 2002 | $2,978 | -20% |
| HY 2001 | $3,720 | -7% |
| HY 2000 | $4,013 | 147% |
| HY 1999 | $1,627 | 110% |
| HY 1998 | $774 | 125% |
| HY 1997 | $344 | 320% |
| HY 1996 | $82 | |
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| Total | $111,624 |
Ad Category Breakouts (in millions)
| HY 2011* | HY 2012 | |||
| % | $ | % | $ | |
| Search | 46% | $6,843 | 48% | $8,128 |
| Display Related | 36% | $5,349 | 33% | $5,586 |
| -Banner Ads | 22% | $3,266 | 21% | $3,622 |
| -Digital Video Commercials | 6% | $891 | 6% | $1,053 |
| -Rich Media | 5% | $727 | 3% | $495 |
| -Sponsorship | 3% | $465 | 2% | $416 |
| Mobile* | 4% | $636 | 7% | $1,242 |
| Classifieds | 8% | $1,235 | 7% | $1,160 |
| Referrals/Lead Generation | 5% | $800 | 5% | $834 |
| 1% | $79 | 0% | $78 | |
*Revised from prior year to include mobile as a discreet category
Revenue Pricing Models (in millions)
| HY 2011 | HY 2012 | |||
| % | $ | % | $ | |
| Performance-Based | 64% | $9,588 | 67% | $11,461 |
| Impression-Based | 31% | $4,668 | 31% | $5,199 |
| Hybrid | 5% | $686 | 2% | $368 |
