Online Ad Revenue Surpassed TV's for the First Time, Sort Of

According to an annual report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), revenue from online advertising surpassed broadcast television advertising for the first time in 2013. But it still fell far below revenue from broadcast and cable television ads combined, which dwarf online ads by more than $20 billion.

According to Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of IAB, the surges in online advertising are not unexpected: 

The news that interactive has outperformed broadcast television should come as no surprise. It speaks to the power that digital screens have in reaching and engaging audiences. In that same vein, the triple-digit growth of mobile is clearly a direct response to how smaller digital screens play an integral role in consumers' lives throughout the day, as well as their critical importance to cross-screen experiences.

The report finds that online ad revenue jumped by 17 percent in 2013, rising to $42.8 billion from $36.57 billion. Revenue from mobile advertising more than doubled, rising 110 percent from $3.4 billion in 2012 to $7.1 billion in 2013. According to David Silverman, a partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, which keeps tabs on the data, this is yet another sign that mobile is replacing desktop. Per Silverman, “Our survey confirms that we are fully in transition to the post-desktop era. Triple-digit advertising revenue growth from mobile deviceshttp://www.thewire.com/business/2014/04/online-ad-revenue-surpassed-tvs-for-the-first-time-sort-of/360559/