Weibo Profits Dip as Advertising Market Shifts

The company’s primary revenue engine, advertising and marketing, generated US$381.0 million, marking a 1% decline compared to the previous year. CEO Gaofei Wang attributed the contraction to cooling demand from the handset and online gaming sectors. While advertising revenue from Alibaba rose 10% to US$39.2 million, this growth was insufficient to offset broader market headwinds. Conversely, the company’s value-added services segment—which includes membership fees and offline event ticketing—provided a bright spot, climbing 19% to US$72.9 million.

Operating expenses rose 12% to US$335.0 million, driven by increased marketing and production costs. Beyond core operational challenges, the company faced a non-operating loss of US$27.8 million, largely tied to fair value changes in its investment portfolio. Despite these pressures, Weibo maintained a user base of 561 million monthly active users as of June 2026, while continuing to integrate AI tools to refine content distribution and boost advertising performance.