- BuzzFeed's (BZFD, Financial) Q1 2025 total revenue was $36.0 million, down from $37.0 million in Q1 2024.
- Advertising revenue grew by $0.5 million, while content revenue declined by $2.3 million compared to the previous year.
- Adjusted EBITDA improved significantly, with a loss decrease from $14.4 million in Q1 2024 to $5.9 million.
BuzzFeed, Inc. (BZFD), an established leader in online media, released its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. The company reported a total revenue of $36.0 million, marginally below the $37.0 million recorded in the same period the previous year. A noticeable trend was the increase in advertising revenue, rising to $21.4 million from $20.9 million, largely driven by a $2.5 million boost in programmatic revenue, which compensated for a $2.1 million decline in direct-sold advertisements.
Despite a decline in content revenue to $4.4 million from $6.7 million, BuzzFeed saw a significant rise in its commerce and other revenues, climbing to $10.2 million compared to $9.3 million in Q1 2024, buoyed by a $1.0 million increase in organic affiliate commerce.
The company reported a net loss from continuing operations of $12.5 million, a considerable improvement from the $27.0 million recorded the previous year. Similarly, the adjusted EBITDA saw an $8.5 million year-over-year improvement, narrowing the loss to $5.9 million.
CEO Jonah Peretti highlighted the increased editorial output and the introduction of a new AI tool piloting this quarter, which enhanced pageviews per article by 25%. CFO Matt Omer noted the continuous growth of affiliate commerce and programmatic advertising as efficient revenue streams. The focus remains on disciplined investment in innovative technologies, such as their AI tools, aimed at amplifying human creativity and engagement.
BuzzFeed also observed a slight increase in audience engagement, with total time spent across its platforms rising to 67.9 million hours, up from 67.3 million hours in Q1 2024. Looking forward, the company projects a full-year revenue range of $195 million to $210 million, with adjusted EBITDA expected to improve by approximately $10 million year-over-year.
