| SIC Codes: | |
| NAICS Codes: | 519130 |
Companies in this industry publish content on the Internet or operate websites designed to help people find content online. Major companies include Facebook, Google, and Yahoo! (all based in the US), as well as Baidu and Tencent (both based in China), DeNA (Japan), and NHN (South Korea).
Demand is driven by consumer and business needs for information and entertainment. The profitability of individual companies depends on their ability to deliver relevant information to consumers and to offer advertisers desirable target markets. Large companies enjoy economies of scale in marketing and in their ability to develop and maintain multiple websites. Smaller companies can compete by focusing on niche markets. The industry is highly concentrated: the top 50 companies account for about 80 percent of revenue.
Major products are search portals and websites devoted to news, sports, entertainment, gaming, networking, and other topics. Advertising is the primary source of revenue, and the majority of advertising (more than 80 percent) comes from search and display formats, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Search revenue is recognized from the fees businesses pay Internet firms to link their company's site or name to a specific search word or phrase. Display advertising is the result of a business paying an Internet company for space to display advertising on its website; display advertising includes banner advertising, video, rich media, and sponsorships. Other sources of revenue include subscriptions and licensing of proprietary products to other sites.
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