OpenAI's ChatGPT sees ad volume double and attracts major retailers like Home Depot

Sensor Tower data shows ChatGPT's mobile app displayed about twice as many ads per hour in July versus April, with advertiser numbers climbing from roughly 300 to over 820.

According to Sensor Tower, the ChatGPT mobile application delivered roughly twice the number of advertisements per hour in July compared with April, reflecting OpenAI's aggressive push into ad-based monetisation. The advertiser base expanded from about 300 in April to more than 820 by July, with at least 160 newcomers joining in the latest month. Prominent brands now appearing in the top-ten list include Home Depot, Booking Holdings, Intuit and L.L.Bean, while earlier tech-focused advertisers have slipped out.

Retail continues to dominate ad spend, though the share of financial-services ads surged to 12%, making it the third-largest sector after shopping and software. OpenAI places ads beneath AI responses for users on the free tier or the $8 Go plan, and reported $100 million in annual recurring ad revenue for May, still far behind industry giants like Google and Meta. Dave Dugan, OpenAI’s ads chief, said the company initially limited ad exposure to protect user experience but now feels confident scaling volume.