Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals Revenue Benchmarks
The average internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals business in the United States generates $33.8M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 8,032 internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals businesses in the U.S., employing 322,211 workers with an average profit margin of 18.0%.
What Does a Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals Business Actually Do?
Digital media companies — websites, streaming platforms, podcast networks, digital news, search engines. Revenue mostly from ads and subscriptions.
Who buys: Advertisers targeting the audience, subscribers, affiliates driving traffic.
Average Revenue
$33.8M
per year
Profit Margin
18.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$842K
per year
Total Businesses
8,032
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$6.1M
small business avg
Labor Cost
40.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
N/A
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
2.4
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals Charge?
Digital publishers earn on advertising, subscriptions, and affiliate revenue.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Display ad CPM | $1–20 per 1,000 impressions |
Programmatic RPM | $5–50 per 1,000 visits |
Subscription price (news) | $10–35/month |
Affiliate commission | 3–30% of sale |
Newsletter sponsorship CPM | $20–150 |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Hosting & third-party services | $6 | $2.1M | Cloud infrastructure (AWS/Azure/GCP), APIs, content licensing, payment processing. |
Wages & benefits | $40 | $13.5M | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $6 | $2.1M | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $8 | $2.8M | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $21 | $7.1M | R&D, software licenses, sales commissions, customer support tools. |
Net profit | $18 | $6.1M | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
14.7%
openings/year
Closure Rate
10.09%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+1.59%
annual
Businesses Closed
941
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
0 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals business do?
- Digital media companies — websites, streaming platforms, podcast networks, digital news, search engines. Revenue mostly from ads and subscriptions. Advertisers targeting the audience, subscribers, affiliates driving traffic.
- How much do internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals charge?
- Digital publishers earn on advertising, subscriptions, and affiliate revenue. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals make per year?
- The average internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals business generates $33.8M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $6.1M per year at a 18.0% profit margin.
- How many internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals businesses are there in the US?
- There are 8,032 internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 322,211 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals business?
- Startup costs for a internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
Industry Growth & Survival
The internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals industry is relatively stable — with a net job growth rate of 1.6%. Entry and exit rates are balanced at 14.7% and 10.1% respectively.
Approximately 59% of internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals businesses survive their first 5 years. This is near the national average (~50%), with typical business risk. In 2023, 941 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals industry has grown 156% since 2000 (from 3,679 to 9,410 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals revenue with other industries: