Reddit COO Jen Wong Talks Earnings, Advertising

Summary

Podcast Summary: Bloomberg Talks – Reddit COO Jen Wong Talks Earnings, Advertising

Date: October 31, 2025
Host: Bloomberg/Interviewer
Guest: Jen Wong, COO (noted as Gen Wang in transcript) of Reddit

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Episode Overview

This episode features an insightful interview with Reddit COO Jen Wong (referred to as Gen Wang in the transcript) focusing on Reddit’s impressive Q3 performance, rapid growth in its advertising business, international expansion, the transformative role of AI, and the company’s relationships with large language model (LLM) providers like OpenAI and Google. The discussion provides strategic context on Reddit’s market position, current priorities, and future growth opportunities.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Advertising Growth & Platform Diversification

[00:37–01:29]

• Reddit’s active advertiser account grew 75% year-over-year in Q3.

• Investments in go-to-market strategy, acquisition, platform automation, and simplicity have driven user and advertiser growth.

• Enhanced performance, especially in the mid and lower sales funnel, appeals to mid-market and SMB advertisers.

• 9 out of 15 verticals saw over 50% year-over-year growth, underscoring business diversification and platform robustness.

  “Every advertiser can find success on our platform. So those investments that we've been made are really paying off.”
  — Jen Wong, [01:28]

2. International Expansion Opportunities

[01:29–02:34]

• Reddit’s user traffic: 55% international, 45% US.

• Significant “headroom” for growth outside the US, with an emphasis on underserved non-English markets.

• Strategy combines AI-enabled machine translation for accessibility and building vibrant, localized communities.

  “The process of doing that starts with machine translation, using AI to translate universal conversations so that somebody in France or Germany who operates in a non-English language can have access … All of that is opportunity for us and opportunities to build another Reddit for every language and culture.”
  — Jen Wong, [01:55]

3. The Strategic Role of AI and LLM Licensing

[02:34–03:48]

• AI is central to advertiser optimization and platform translation/localization.

• Recent licensing deals with OpenAI and Google fuel new revenue streams, but advertising remains Reddit’s core business and priority.

• Ads business continues to expand “60%+ year-over-year,” with room to onboard more advertisers, new ad formats, and geographies.

  “Our core business is advertising. It's a business model that has a lot of TAM... There are thousands more advertisers that can be on our platform in addition to more verticals and more geographies to come onto our ad platform. So we see a lot of opportunity there...”
  — Jen Wong, [03:15]

4. Evolving Relationship with LLM Providers & AI Applications

[03:48–04:43]

• The “chatbot” interface and LLM space is still in flux—rapidly evolving UI and utility.

• Reddit’s data is highly valued by AI developers; Reddit became the “topmost source domain in Q3” for LLM citation.

• These are not “partnerships” in the strict sense but mutually beneficial relationships.

• The company remains “watchful” and sees ongoing learning and future possibilities as this AI landscape matures.

  “We've certainly learned that our data is highly appreciated, it's highly used and cited. I think we were the topmost source domain in Q3. So I think, you know, we're watching that area very, very closely as it evolves.”
  — Jen Wong, [04:28]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Growth and Strategy

“I think a lot of the things that we're doing are working...those investments that we've been made are really paying off...”
— Jen Wong, [00:37–01:29]

On International Expansion

“…Every country that is a non-English country is just an opportunity to build another Reddit...opportunities to build another Reddit for every language and culture.”
— Jen Wong, [01:38–02:34]

On Core Business vs. Data Licensing

“Our core business is advertising...There are thousands more advertisers that can be on our platform in addition to more verticals and more geographies...”
— Jen Wong, [03:15]

On LLM Relationships

“The relationships that we have with [LLM companies] are not partnerships. The relationships are really healthy and we continue to learn a lot through these [deals]...We're watching that area very, very closely as it evolves.”
— Jen Wong, [03:57, 04:28]

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Key Segments & Timestamps

• Reddit's Advertising Growth & Performance: [00:37–01:29]
• International Expansion & Localization with AI: [01:29–02:34]
• Strategic Role of AI and Focus on Ads Business: [02:34–03:48]
• LLM Licensing Relationships & Future of Chatbots: [03:48–04:43]

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Takeaways

• Reddit’s ad business is experiencing remarkable growth, driven by strategic investment and platform optimization.
• International expansion is a core pillar, with AI-powered translation and local communities enabling a global Reddit presence.
• While AI/data licensing deals provide new revenue, advertising remains the main focus and growth lever for Reddit.
• AI strategies both enable platform growth (advertising, translation) and support new business (LLM data licensing).
• Reddit’s leadership is highly aware of, and responsive to, the evolving digital advertising and AI landscape.

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For listeners interested in digital advertising trends, global expansion strategies for tech platforms, and the emerging influence of AI and LLMs on social media, this conversation with Jen Wong provides actionable insight and a glimpse into Reddit’s game plan for the future.

Transcript

[Tom Keene]

Indiana University is shaping the future of health care, advancing discoveries that become treatments for Alzheimer's, obesity and cancer, and training the providers trusted to deliver them. See how IU solves what's next IU Edu Impact.

[Interviewer / Bloomberg Host]

Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio News Delivering a better than expected forecast was Reddit Social media platform has benefited from data licensing deals of course with OpenAI and Google, but it's really about growing advertising businesses that drives it. This time we spoke with the Reddit CEO Gen Wang.

[Gen Wang]

I think a lot of the things that we're doing are working. You know you saw our active Advertiser account grow 75% year over year in Q3 and I think that's the result of our go to market in acquisition investments as well as making our platform more automated and simple to use, as well as really delivering more performance, particularly at the mid and lower funnel where a lot of mid market and SMB businesses like to transact. We also grew 9 out of 15 verticals over 50% year over year and I think that shows the diversification of our business, how robust it is across every vertical and every objective. So every advertiser can find success on our platform. So those investments that we've been made are really paying off and the investments.

[Interviewer / Bloomberg Host]

In translation really paying off. When you think about diversification internationally, how is that still working? How much low hanging fruit is there to grow outside the United States?

[Gen Wang]

Well I think there's in there's enormous headroom outside of the US. Our traffic today is about 55% outside of the US and 45% in the US and the rest of world has been growing and every country that is a non English country is just an opportunity to build another Reddit. And the process of doing that starts with machine translation, using AI to translate universal conversations so that somebody in France or German, Germany who operates in a non English language can have access to great content and communities on Reddit. And then the process of building local communities so that if you're in France you have a local bread community, German you're in Germany, your local football communities so that it feels local, your city communities. All of that is opportunity for us and opportunities to build another Reddit for every language and culture.

[Interviewer / Bloomberg Host]

It's really interesting that AI is really the tailwind here, whether it's ability to serve your companies, those that are advertising with you, that much more sophisticated applications, the way in which they're able to advertise with you, whether or not it's the AI that's helping you do translation. But also we Know that a big part of the business has started to become how you're used by a LLM producers. How is that a stage of priority? Can you just weigh it up for us? The prioritization of advertising versus the prioritization of making these deals with big. You already have done with Google and OpenAI.

[Gen Wang]

Yeah. Our core business is advertising. It's a business model that has a lot of TAM and you know, is a big addressable market. I think we have a lot of headroom there. Our ad platform is growing, our marketplace is growing, as I said, 60% plus year over year. And we really like our roadmap there. There are thousands more advertisers that can be on our platform in addition to more verticals and more geographies to come onto our ad platform. So we see a lot of opportunity there across the funnel, in automation, in ad formats and even in delivering more performance for for our advertisers. So that's our core business and that's where we're focused.

[Interviewer / Bloomberg Host]

What about the chat bots and then actually helping you in terms of driving traffic? When does that really start to bring to bear?

[Gen Wang]

You know, that's a space that is just under incredible heavy construction because it's also new and it's changing. The UI is changing, the products are changing. You know, how we think, you know, the use of AI even on our platform on Reddit is changing. So, you know, it's hard to say, I think, but I think, you know, I would say the relationships that we have with the alums are not partnerships. The relationships are really healthy and we continue to learn a lot through these partnerships. I think we've certainly learned that our data is highly appreciated, it's highly used and cited. I think we were the topmost Source domain in Q3. So I think, you know, we're watching that area very, very closely as it evolves.

[Interviewer / Bloomberg Host]

Gen Long Reddit CEO there talking of.

[Tom Keene]

Relationships with LLMs, Indiana University is shaping the future of health care. Advancing discoveries that become treatments for Alzheimer's, obesity, cancer and other rare and complex diseases. And training the next generation of providers, doctors and nurses trusted to address health challenges with skill, compassion and purpose. From the lab to the clinic, from research teams to patient care, IU talent is driving medical innovation, improving health outcomes and strengthening communities. See how IU solves what's next IU EDU Impact this is Tom Keene inviting.

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