News Corp would lose $9M over nixing ‘clunky' Google advertising tools, former exec testifies

Core Insights - News Corp considered moving away from Google's advertising products in 2017 but estimated a loss of at least $9 million in revenue if they did so [1][4] - Google's dominance in the digital advertising market has led to a situation where it is essentially the only service used by publishers for ad deals, despite complaints about its tools being "clunky and slow" [2][5] - The Justice Department's antitrust case against Google highlights its control over ad tools and the significant revenue it siphons from the market, estimated at up to 35 cents of every dollar [6] Revenue and Market Share - In 2016, News Corp generated $83.3 million in ad revenue through digital ad tech tools, with $18.4 million coming from advertisers on Google's platform [3] - By the end of 2022, 70% to 80% of News Corp's ad deals were conducted through Google's tools, indicating a heavy reliance on Google's advertising ecosystem [4] Legal Proceedings - The Justice Department is pursuing a breakup of Google's ad tech business, including the divestment of its Ad Manager tool, as part of its antitrust case [7][8] - The trial is expected to last about four weeks, with US District Judge Leonie Brinkema overseeing the proceedings [8]