Meta is set to overtake Google in terms of total digital ad revenues by the end of 2026, for both adspend and market share, making it the top digital advertising engine.
So says a new report by Emarketer, which forecasts that Meta will reach $243.46bn in net worldwide ad revenues in 2026, with Google reaching $239.54bn.
Last year, Google was ahead, with $214.06bn and Meta with $196.17bn. In terms of share, Google still controls more than a quarter of global ad spend (26.4%). But while its share has been falling since 2021, Meta’s share has grown, and will overtake Google this year with 26.8% of worldwide ad spend.
Emarketer principal analyst Max Willens said: “In surpassing Google, Meta has essentially had many of its core strategies validated. Meta has long understood that scale, network effects, and habits are more important than anything else in digital media. It has carefully built and defended the advantages it has in all three areas.”
In fact, Emarketer maintains that Meta is growing at an unprecedented rate for a company of its scale. Its worldwide growth rate will accelerate from 22.1% in 2025 to 24.1% in 2026. Conversely, Google’s growth rate will remain steady at 11.9% this year.
Emarketer senior forecasting analyst Zach Goldner explained: “Meta’s growth is not coming from just one source. Instead, it’s unlocking more value across its entire ecosystem at the same time.
“Tools like its Advantage+, AI-generated ad creatives, and its broader automation stack are improving performance across both Facebook and Instagram, with Reels being a big beneficiary. As a result, advertisers are getting better bang for their buck, and that’s pulling more ad dollars onto the platform.”
“For the vast majority of advertisers, the question is not whether they should spend money on Meta’s apps—the question is how much they should spend.
Meanwhile, third-placed Amazon earned $68.64bn in worldwide ad revenues in 2025, and is forecast to grow to $82.07bn in 2026 and $97.07bn in 2027. Amazon’s share of global digital ad spending will reach 9.0% in 2026, up from 8.0% in 2024.
Taken together, the three platforms will represent 62.3% of total worldwide digital ad spending in 2026 and will increase that share through 2028.
Emarketer senior forecasting analyst Drew Spink concluded: “The consolidation of digital adspend around Google, Meta, and Amazon reflects a compounding advantage of first-party data, AI integrations, and audience reach.
“Smaller platforms and traditional media can’t replicate these capabilities in comparable cost or speed and, as a result, incremental budgets continue to flow in that direction.”
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