Former News Corp exec believes it could lose $9mn revenue if it boycotted Google ad tools

New Delhi: In 2017, News Corp considered leaving Google's advertising tools but estimated it would lose over $9 million in revenue, a former executive testified. 

Despite Google’s "clunky and slow" tools, its market dominance made it the primary option for ad deals, according to Stephanie Layser, who worked at News Corp from 2017 to 2022. 

In 2016, News Corp earned $83.3 million through digital ad tech, with $18.4 million from Google’s ad exchange. 

About half of that came from Google-exclusive advertisers, making it too costly to switch. By 2022, 70-80% of News Corp’s ad deals relied on Google. 

Layser testified during the Justice Department's antitrust case, which accuses Google of monopolizing the ad market. Google’s defense argued that intervention could harm businesses. 

The trial, presided over by Judge Leonie Brinkema, is expected to last four weeks.