YouTube Makes USD 8 M in Ad Revenue from Gangnam Style

World | January 23, 2013, Wednesday| 570 views

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Bulgaria: YouTube Makes USD 8 M in Ad Revenue from Gangnam Style

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (L) talks with South Korean rapper-singer Psy, who has risen to worldwide fame due to his hit music video `Gangnam Style, 23 October 2012. EPA/BGNES

Google announced the YouTube page showcasing the "Gangnam Style" video by South Korean rapper Psy has earned USD 8 M in ad revenue.

Google Chief Business Officer Nikesh Arora revealed the figure Tuesday while discussing the money-making potential of YouTube during a quarterly earnings call with financial analysts, as cited by international media.

Ad revenue from popular YouTube videos is shared with creators of the content.

In December 2012, "Gangnam Style" became the first video to break a billion views on YouTube, marking a historic milestone on the Internet.

A counter at the YouTube page showed that the music video has been watched more than 1.23 billion times since it was uploaded in July 2012.

"Gangnam" is estimated to have earned the rapper, whose real name is Park Jae-Sang, millions more from digital downloads, advertising deals and on-demand services.

The song - which refers to a trendy Seoul district - spawned a mini tribute video industry, complete with copycats.