Meta to begin rolling out Threads ads globally

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CNBC Finance

Jan 21, 2026

2 min read

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Key Points
  • Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta on Wednesday said it will begin to show advertising on its Threads micro-blogging service to all users globally starting next week.
  • Threads has surpassed more than 400 million active users and data suggests the platform has gained more daily active users globally than Elon Musk's X.
  • Wall Street analysts expect Threads to become a significant revenue driver for Meta as the company monetizes the platform.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta on Wednesday said it will begin to show advertising on its Threads micro-blogging service to all users globally starting next week.

"With ads on Threads, businesses can authentically join this conversation while finding new ways to connect with the people most interested in their business," the company wrote in a blog.

Wall Street analysts expect Threads to become a significant revenue driver for Meta as the company monetizes the platform. The company is set to report its fourth quarter earnings results next week.

Meta said the full launch will be "gradual" and potentially take a few months to roll out. The social media company first tested ads on Threads with users in the U.S. and Japan last January.

Since its launch in July 2023, Threads has been a direct competitor to Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter. Meta's service has amassed more than 400 million active monthly users globally, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in August.

Earlier this month, The Verge reported that Threads had lured more daily active users worldwide than X, citing data from Similarweb.

Meta said it plans to continue bringing new features to Threads. That includes new ad formats and third-party verification services that are already available on Facebook and Instagram.

Published

January 21, 2026

Wednesday at 7:02 PM

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2 minutes

~284 words

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