Online ad sales surged in 2005
Internet advertising revenue exceeded $12.5 billion last year, PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Internet advertising revenue spiked 30 percent to set a new record in 2005, according to estimates released by PricewaterhouseCoopers on Wednesday.

Online ad sales likely topped $12.5 billion last year, compared to $9.6 billion in 2004, the accounting firm said.

Web advertising has grown at a rapid clip, contributing to the growth of several Internet firms. Tech bellwether Google (Research), for example, relies heavily on search-based advertisements to generate revenue.

But there have been concerns recently that click fraud, an illegal practice that fabricates increased traffic for ads and links, may deter companies from advertising online. (Full story.)

The PricewaterhouseCoopers report, however, suggests demand for Internet advertising remains strong.

"With the increase in broadband penetration further enhancing how messages get delivered, we should continue to see a favorable environment for increased Internet ad spending," David Silverman, a partner at the financial services firm, said in a statement.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers study was based on data from the top 15 Internet ad sellers and sponsored by the Interactive Advertising Bureau. The report's final results are expected to be released in April.

-----------------

Click here for the latest tech news. Top of page

YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS
Follow the news that matters to you. Create your own alert to be notified on topics you're interested in.

Or, visit Popular Alerts for suggestions.
Manage alerts | What is this?

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.