Creator Platforms Like YouTube, TikTok & Instagram Will Surpass Traditional Media in Ad Revenue for the First Time Ever

WPP Media / 2025 Global Midyear Forecast

In 2025, creator platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are expected to surpass traditional media, including TV networks, news companies, and radio, in ad revenue for the very first time, capturing more than half of the market.

According to WPP Media’s 2025 Mid-Year Global Advertising Forecast, these platforms are projected to generate $189.9 billion in ad revenue in 2025, up 20% from 2024. This figure is expected to nearly double in the years ahead, topping $376.6 billion by 2030.

WPP Media / 2025 Global Midyear Forecast

Why It's Happening

This is an inflection point for the advertising industry. As audiences spend more time on digital platforms, brands are moving their budgets accordingly. More dollars are flowing to platforms where creators build deep connections with their communities on the devices people engage with the most: their phones.

The accessibility of content plays a role, but creators are leading the shift. Through storytelling, commentary, and personal perspective, creators and their content engage people in ways traditional media struggles to match.

Many consumers now place more trust in creators than in legacy media. That is why brands and advertisers are flocking to creators, whether it is launching their creator programs, putting creators on payroll, or even acting more like creators themselves.

Technology is speeding up this shift. AI and personalization tools help advertisers target their ideal customers with greater precision, from serving the right creative to the right audiences at the right time.

Meanwhile, creator-focused advertising products are becoming more advanced. Brands have been amplifying creator content for some time, but creator platforms are now investing in more ways for brands to run ads adjacent to creators. They’re also making it easier to quickly identify user-generated content that mentions them, obtain permission, and turn it into high-performing ads.

Lines Between Creator and Traditional Media Are Blurring

The gap between creator content and traditional media is shrinking. YouTube creators are producing content at studio quality, often more efficiently than traditional production houses, and even building their own studios, like Dhar Mann.

Creator content is getting so good that streaming platforms like Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu are expanding their libraries with digital creators, including exclusives like MrBeast’s Beast Games and compilations of existing IP like Ms Rachel.

On TikTok and Instagram, creators build serialized content that mimics TV shows. Gymnasium’s Boy Room is a strong example.

With the rise of AI tools, creators will be able to combine these technologies with dedicated teams to act as their own mini studios, pushing content boundaries even further.

What This Means for Everyone

As creator platforms surge past traditional media in ad revenue, everyone in the ecosystem must adapt.

Traditional media companies will need to modernize by integrating creators into their talent pool, as Yahoo and The Washington Post are trying to do. They also need to bring their content where attention is going, like social platforms and Substack. Just as important is exploring new revenue models beyond ads and subscriptions.

Brands must become more creator-first in everything they do. That includes launching always-on creator programs, hiring creators full-time, and integrating creator content across all touchpoints.

Agencies will need to build more services around creators, supporting influencer campaigns, but also building creator-centric production studios focused on platform-native content. They should still maintain traditional offerings, but the momentum is shifting toward creator-led formats.

Creator and user-generated platforms are well-positioned. As ad dollars follow attention, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more, they will continue to invest in more sophisticated ad solutions powered by creators and communities. These products will not just be about targeting but about helping brands tap into cultural moments quickly.

And for creators, monetization opportunities will continue to grow from sponsored content and user-generated assets to licensing and platform incentives. But with more creators (both human and AI-generated) entering the space, competition will rise. Creators will need to sharpen their strategies and demonstrate value to brands beyond just reach or aesthetics.

All that said, this is not a choice between creator platforms or traditional media. There is value in both. Right now, creator-led content is winning the attention war, but the lines will become even murkier down the road.