What is ad revenue and how do publishers grow it?
Where publisher ad revenue comes from, the simple formula behind it, and the levers that grow it.
Written by Samhub with the help of AI·Updated 13 Oct 2026·3 min readAd revenue is the money a publisher earns from advertising: direct campaigns, programmatic sales, sponsorships and other ad formats.
The formula
Ad revenue = impressions sold × average CPM ÷ 1,000
Example: 5,000,000 × €2.40 ÷ 1,000 = €12,000
Illustrative numbers.
Sources of ad revenue
16 pages for publishers, with a checklist for data, programmatic and direct sales.
Levers that grow ad revenue
Sell more of the inventory
Higher fill and sell-through.
Sell it for more
Audience data and deals raise the price per impression.
Grow the audience
More readers and page views.
CPM uplift at Stampen Media after activating first-party audiences with Samhub.
Frequently asked questions
By selling ad space directly and through programmatic channels, priced per impression or as packages.
Usually raising the price per impression with audience data, because it lifts all inventory at once.
For many, yes, as budgets move to global platforms. Data-driven publishers are winning some back.
Related terms
The price of 1,000 ad impressions.
Effective revenue per 1,000 impressions.
Getting the most revenue from every impression.
Average revenue per user.
How publishers earn from digital ads.
Samhub audiences let you set higher floors and win more data deals, in every channel you sell.
- A walkthrough with your own data
- Built for publishers and media houses
- 30 minutes, no commitment
Turn your audience data into more revenue
Get the Media Monetization Playbook: how media houses turn first-party data into higher CPMs, data deals and direct sales. With checklists for every step.
