• February 4, 2008

Yahoo sites rank as the top ad publisher with 19% share of online display ads, according to new data released by comScore, Inc.

The rankings of the top U.S. Internet properties are based on the number of display ad impressions delivered. Display ads are defined as any rich media or static images that are served and loaded into a Web browser, but do not include video streams, text or paid search ad impressions. comScore reports the display ad impressions as "ad views," since the comScore technology records the ads as they are actually rendered on an Internet user's computer (as opposed to other technologies that only "spider" publisher sites for ads but are not able to record the actual delivery of all ads, especially behaviorally targeted ads, to the sites' visitors.)

The data are obtained from comScore Ad Metrix, a new service that provides a detailed profile of online display ad views for advertisers and publishers. comScore Ad Metrix Publisher reports on the publisher sites where display ads are served, while comScore Ad Metrix Advertiser tracks the advertising activity identified by the online advertiser.

Yahoo is followed by Fox Interactive (16.3%), Microsoft Sites (6.7%), Time Warner Network (5.8%) and Facebook.com (1.5%). Nearly half of all display ads seen by U.S. Internet users originate on only five properties, illustrating the concentration of advertising among a few properties.

--Tanya Irwin