50% of ad sales for tech top duo

Quarterly results from Google owner Alphabet and Facebook provided fresh evidence this week that the digital advertising market is effectively a duopoly, a dynamic that has deep implications for two of Silicon Valley’s titans.

Alphabet, the owner of Google and YouTube, and Facebook, the world’s largest social network, each produced billions in profits during the most recent quarter and enjoyed steep revenue increases, while smaller rivals such as Snap and Twitter struggle to maintain growth and reduce losses.

This year, the big two in internet advertising are expected to take half of all revenue worldwide, and more than 60% in the US, according to research firm eMarketer.