ByteDance surpasses Meta in quarterly revenue, valued above $330B

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has overtaken Meta Platforms in quarterly revenue for the first time, which represents a major turning point in the social media landscape.

In the second quarter of 2025, ByteDance’s revenue surged 25% year-over-year to approximately $48 billion, surpassing Meta’s $47.52 billion, which grew 22% over the same period.

ByteDance's dominance in the Chinese market and ongoing global platform expansion account for the majority of its revenue growth.

TikTok’s booming advertising demand and diversification into e-commerce and AI-enhanced features contributed significantly to this surge.

What contributed to ByteDance’s revenue growth?

ByteDance's strategic focus on advertising and platform engagement has paid off, especially with TikTok maintaining a lead in short-form video content.

The company’s investments in AI and content moderation have also enhanced user experience, driving ad sales and platform stickiness.

Did you know?
ByteDance employs its own balance sheet to fund share buybacks, avoiding reliance on external investors.

How does the share buyback program support ByteDance?

The company recently launched a program for employees to sell back their shares, valuing ByteDance at over $330 billion, a 5.5% increase from the prior $315 billion valuation.

This program provides liquidity to employees, boosts morale, and reflects strong financial discipline by using ByteDance’s balance sheet rather than external capital.

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What challenges does ByteDance face in the US market?

Despite outpacing Meta in revenue, ByteDance’s valuation remains below a fifth of Meta’s $1.9 trillion market cap due to political and regulatory scrutiny in the US. Ongoing debates over TikTok’s ownership and congressional mandates for divestiture have cast uncertainty over its US operations.

How is ByteDance investing in AI compared to Meta?

Both companies are making sizable investments in artificial intelligence technologies. ByteDance’s AI division, Seed, focuses on large-scale AI research and integration, while Meta has formed its Superintelligence team, emphasizing innovations for social media and beyond.

This revenue milestone and buyback program underscore ByteDance’s emergence as a formidable competitor on the global tech stage, reshaping social media and advertising dynamics worldwide.