Google hits 350M paid subscriptions, YouTube ad revenue misses estimates
Alphabet announced during its Q1 2026 earnings that Google's paid subscriptions reached 350 million, adding 25 million in the quarter, driven by YouTube Premium and Google One. YouTube ad revenue came in at $9.88 billion, below Wall Street's $9.99 billion expectation, though up 11% year-over-year. CEO Sundar Pichai had previously cautioned that YouTube's business should be evaluated on ads plus subscriptions, as ad-free plans reduce ad revenue. Cloud revenue topped $20 billion, contributing to Alphabet's total revenue of $109.9 billion, which beat expectations. Gemini subscriber numbers were not disclosed, but paid monthly active users in enterprise grew 40% quarter-over-quarter. The stock rose after the earnings release.
Key facts
- Google added 25 million paid subscriptions in Q1 2026, reaching 350 million total.
- YouTube ad revenue was $9.88 billion, missing the $9.99 billion estimate.
- YouTube ad revenue grew 11% year-over-year.
- Alphabet's total revenue was $109.9 billion, beating expectations.
- Cloud revenue exceeded $20 billion.
- Gemini paid monthly active users in enterprise grew 40% quarter-over-quarter.
- Gemini subscriber numbers were not disclosed.
- Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai warned about evaluating YouTube on ads plus subscriptions.
Entities
Institutions
- Alphabet
- YouTube
- Google One
- CNBC
- TechCrunch Disrupt