STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
NPR's business news begins with good news for Google.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
INSKEEP: The search giant is expected to be the top firm in online display advertising revenue this year, according to analysts at the industry news site eMarketer. If their prediction comes true - if - Google will unseat the reigning online ad champ Facebook, which would be a blow for Facebook, which only last year managed to beat back the previous top-earner, Yahoo.
Google is expected to net $2.4 billion in ad revenues - an almost 40 percent increase over last year - although, that's an updated forecast. Originally, eMarketer had predicted that Facebook would beat Google out again this year, but strong ad sales on mobile platforms and on YouTube pushed the search firm into the top slot. So, there. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
