ChatGPT Ads Hit $1 Billion Run Rate as OpenAI Expands Globally
OpenAI says its advertising business reached the milestone in under 200 days as self-service buying expands to new regions.
ChatGPT Ads has reached a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate, according to OpenAI, less than 200 days after the advertising platform launched. OpenAI says tens of thousands of advertisers now use the platform, while the company is expanding direct access to its Ads Manager into more markets.
The announcement marks a shift from an early advertising rollout into a larger part of OpenAI's business. OpenAI says advertising sits alongside consumer subscriptions, enterprise offerings, and usage-based APIs, helping support an advertising-funded free tier that gives people broader access to ChatGPT.
ChatGPT Ads Reach $1 Billion in Annualized Revenue
The $1 billion figure is an annualized revenue run rate, not $1 billion that OpenAI has already collected over a full year. It represents the current pace of the advertising business projected across 12 months. OpenAI says the platform has reached that pace in less than 200 days.
OpenAI says ChatGPT Ads are used by tens of thousands of advertisers. The company has also built a broader advertising platform around Ads Manager, measurement tools, product feeds, geographic targeting, and other campaign controls.
Self-Service Ads Expand Into More Markets
Starting August 31, advertisers in India, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa can purchase ChatGPT ads directly through Ads Manager. OpenAI says ChatGPT Ads are now available in more than 40 countries through its advertising team, agency relationships, and technology partners.
The self-service expansion is aimed at making ChatGPT advertising available to businesses beyond OpenAI's managed sales and partner channels. OpenAI says small and medium-sized businesses now represent a material share of its advertising business.
How ChatGPT Ads Are Presented to Users
OpenAI says ads are clearly labeled and kept separate from ChatGPT's answers. The company also says advertising does not influence the answers ChatGPT provides, advertisers do not receive access to people's private conversations, and users can control how their ad experience is personalized.
OpenAI says its ads system uses the context of the current conversation to show relevant advertising. Depending on the country and a user's settings, it may also use context from the user's broader ChatGPT experience.
OpenAI says recent advertiser results include an ecommerce advertiser reporting a 3x return on ad spend across 28 days, while a technology partner reported that more than 80% of ad-driven ChatGPT traffic came from new customers. These are company-provided examples, not independent performance benchmarks.
What OpenAI Plans Next
OpenAI says the next phase will bring ChatGPT Ads to more markets and add more ad formats, campaign objectives, buying options, and measurement capabilities. The company also says it will explore more native ways for businesses to interact with consumers inside ChatGPT.
The full announcement is available in OpenAI's official update.