TL;DREmarketer projects Meta will surpass Google in global digital ad revenue for the first time in 2026, with $243.5 billion to Google’s $239.5 billion. Meta’s Advantage+ AI automation and new ad surfaces on WhatsApp and Threads are driving 24.1% growth versus Google’s 11.9%.
Meta is on track to dethrone Google as the world’s largest digital advertising business by the end of 2026, according to Emarketer. The market research firm projects Meta’s global net ad revenues will reach $243.46 billion this year, edging past Google’s projected $239.54 billion. It would be the first time in the history of digital advertising that Google has not held the top spot.
The gap is being driven by growth rate, not absolute dominance. Emarketer forecasts Meta’s ad revenue will grow 24.1% in 2026, up from 22.1% in 2025, while Google’s growth is expected to hold steady at 11.9%. In market share terms, Meta would command 26.8% of global digital ad spending compared with Google’s 26.4%, a margin thin enough that any disruption to Meta’s momentum could reverse the order.
Advantage+ is the engine behind the acceleration
Meta’s Advantage+ automated ad suite has been the single biggest driver of the company’s advertising growth. The system uses machine learning to automate campaign setup, audience targeting, and creative optimisation, reducing the number of decisions advertisers need to make while improving return on ad spend. More than one million advertisers used Meta’s AI tools to create over 15 million ads in a single month in 2025.
