ChatGPT Ads hits $1B run rate.
Advertising inside ChatGPT has gone from experiment to major business line in remarkably short order. OpenAI now says its ad product has reached a $1 billion annualised revenue run rate in under 200 days, a milestone that places ChatGPT among the fastest-growing ad platforms in tech history. The company is marking the moment by opening self-service advertising to a new set of markets, even as European regulators simultaneously tighten their grip on the platform.
ChatGPT's ad business began with a managed-sales model, relying on agencies and technology partners to bring advertisers onto the platform. That approach has since scaled dramatically: the product is now available in more than 40 countries, supported by an ecosystem of over 50 technology and measurement partners. Tens of thousands of advertisers reportedly now run campaigns through the system.
A turning point came with the introduction of Ads Manager, a self-service tool that let small and medium-sized businesses buy ads directly without negotiating a managed contract. OpenAI says SMBs already account for a meaningful share of total ad revenue, and that advertisers outside the United States are contributing a growing portion of that total, with some of the largest clients running simultaneous campaigns across multiple countries.
