In a milestone moment for the global media landscape, content created by individuals on platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram is projected to attract more advertising revenue in 2025 than combined revenue from television, cinema and news outlets.
According to new research by WPP Media, this shift signals a profound change in how audiences consume content, and how advertisers choose to follow them.
The rise of creator-generated content, often dubbed “user-generated” but increasingly polished and professional, is not just a trend. It’s a seismic reordering of the media economy.
WPP’s assessment predicts advertising revenue tied to content creators, including brand deals, sponsorships and platform ads, will increase by 20 per cent this year alone, with the global market expected to more than double to US$376.6 billion by 2030.
“In 2025, for the first time, more than half of content-driven advertising revenue will come from user-generated platforms and content rather than professionally produced content,” the report stated.
This tipping point reflects a rapid transition in audience attention, driven by smartphones, social algorithms and a growing appetite for personalised, relatable storytelling.
“Although individual creators often rely on professional media channels as source material, the idiosyncratic takes and views mean that any individual’s media diet is likely increasingly personalised, and potentially focused around a particular topic or point of view,” the report said.
“Those audiences may come to view their purchase decisions as extensions of those belief systems and views as well, more so than in previous eras where brand messages more often appeared in professionally produced content that may have been regulated for objectiveness and fact-based commentary”.
Australia is no exception. Statista Market Insights data forecasts that influencer advertising in the country will reach US$589 million in 2025, with a healthy annual growth rate of over 10 per cent. Notably, brands are increasingly turning to micro-influencers to engage niche communities, where authenticity often outperforms reach.
“Content creation has seen a dramatic shift in recent years. We are moving into a new generational phase where audiences, for the first time, have grown up in the mobile and connected TV digital world. And those who create the content understand the platforms, the algorithms, and what content connects with audiences. Creators see themselves as brands and or publishers because they can connect authentically with audiences, gain regular attention, partner with brands, or create their own,” said Patrick Whitnall, managing director of the Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO).
“This is why YouTube is now the most-watched streaming service in the world, and this report reinforces that it shows no signs of slowing. More user-generated content will be needed across social media platforms to keep up with audiences and advertisers,” he explained.
The influence of the so-called “Big Five”, Google, Meta, ByteDance, Amazon and Alibaba, looms large. These tech giants took home more than half of all global advertising revenue last year. Their platforms host and monetise much of the content created by individuals, further entrenching their dominance.
While creators were once seen as the scrappy outsiders of media, today they are the new incumbents. They drive purchase decisions, shape cultural trends and are increasingly viewed by audiences as more aligned with their personal beliefs than polished studio content ever was.
For advertisers, the message is clear: where attention goes, money follows. And right now, that attention is scrolling, swiping and streaming its way through user-driven feeds.
