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Size of the US Broadcasting and Content Providers industry

NAICS 516, Broadcasting and Content Providers. Every figure on this page was published by a federal statistical agency and carries its source and period. Palanor does not estimate: a period the agency didn’t publish shows as missing, and a figure it withheld shows as withheld.

Key figures

Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)
$346 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
338,756
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
21,228
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
8,167
2022 · Economic Census

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 338,756 · 2026-Q1
2022-Q1: 354,4992022-Q2: 361,6702022-Q3: 365,1782022-Q4: 366,0682023-Q1: 351,5622023-Q2: 346,9942023-Q3: 339,3942023-Q4: 340,6382024-Q1: 342,8682024-Q2: 343,5532024-Q3: 344,2152024-Q4: 343,4402025-Q1: 339,6642025-Q2: 337,5912025-Q3: 340,5372025-Q4: 340,8082026-Q1: 338,756
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2026-Q1338,756
2025-Q4340,808
2025-Q3340,537
2025-Q2337,591
2025-Q1339,664
2024-Q4343,440
2024-Q3344,215
2024-Q2343,553
2024-Q1342,868
2023-Q4340,638
2023-Q3339,394
2023-Q2346,994
2023-Q1351,562
2022-Q4366,068
2022-Q3365,178
2022-Q2361,670
2022-Q1354,499

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 21,228 · 2026-Q1
2022-Q1: 18,0392022-Q2: 18,5052022-Q3: 19,0902022-Q4: 19,5752023-Q1: 19,9282023-Q2: 20,2072023-Q3: 20,4262023-Q4: 20,6612024-Q1: 20,6582024-Q2: 20,8512024-Q3: 20,8982024-Q4: 21,0122025-Q1: 20,6842025-Q2: 20,7242025-Q3: 20,8742025-Q4: 21,0682026-Q1: 21,228
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2026-Q121,228
2025-Q421,068
2025-Q320,874
2025-Q220,724
2025-Q120,684
2024-Q421,012
2024-Q320,898
2024-Q220,851
2024-Q120,658
2023-Q420,661
2023-Q320,426
2023-Q220,207
2023-Q119,928
2022-Q419,575
2022-Q319,090
2022-Q218,505
2022-Q118,039

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $28.2 billion · 2026-Q1
2022-Q1: $16.1 billion2022-Q2: $14.6 billion2022-Q3: $16.0 billion2022-Q4: $14.2 billion2023-Q1: $17.1 billion2023-Q2: $15.0 billion2023-Q3: $16.7 billion2023-Q4: $16.2 billion2024-Q1: $23.8 billion2024-Q2: $18.8 billion2024-Q3: $19.9 billion2024-Q4: $21.1 billion2025-Q1: $27.8 billion2025-Q2: $20.9 billion2025-Q3: $25.8 billion2025-Q4: $22.8 billion2026-Q1: $28.2 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2026-Q1$28.2 billion
2025-Q4$22.8 billion
2025-Q3$25.8 billion
2025-Q2$20.9 billion
2025-Q1$27.8 billion
2024-Q4$21.1 billion
2024-Q3$19.9 billion
2024-Q2$18.8 billion
2024-Q1$23.8 billion
2023-Q4$16.2 billion
2023-Q3$16.7 billion
2023-Q2$15.0 billion
2023-Q1$17.1 billion
2022-Q4$14.2 billion
2022-Q3$16.0 billion
2022-Q2$14.6 billion
2022-Q1$16.1 billion

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

The ledger

Every published measure

MeasureSourceLatestPeriodHistory
EmploymentPrivate-sector jobs in the third month of each quarterQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages338,7562026-Q12022-Q1–2026-Q1 · 17 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages21,2282026-Q12022-Q1–2026-Q1 · 17 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$28.2 billion2026-Q12022-Q1–2026-Q1 · 17 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$75.5 billion20222022–2022 · 1 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census477,00220222022–2022 · 1 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census12,90620222022–2022 · 1 published
FirmsEconomic Census8,16720222022–2022 · 1 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$346 billion20222022–2022 · 1 published

Breakdown

Industries within Broadcasting and Content Providers

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
5161Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations$44.7 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census109,6052026-Q1 · QCEW
5162Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers$301 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census229,1512026-Q1 · QCEW

Sources

Where every number comes from

Figures are in current dollars and are the agencies’ own, revised when they revise. Each program defines its universe differently (employer firms, private ownership, all establishments), so figures from different sources are not meant to add up. This page is not endorsed by the Census Bureau, BEA or BLS. The same data is in the Palanor API (/v1/industries) and the MCP (palanor_get_industry). All industries.