MySpace operates solely on revenues generated by advertising as its user model possesses no paid-for features for the end user.[22] Through its Web site and affiliated ad networks, MySpace is second only to Yahoo! in it its capacity to collect data about its users and thus in its ability to use behavioral targeting to select the ads each visitor sees.[23]
On August 8, 2006, search engine Google signed a $900 million deal to provide a Google search facility and advertising on MySpace.[24][25][26] MySpace has proven to be a windfall for many smaller companies that provide widgets or accessories to the social networking giant. Companies such as Slide.com, RockYou!, and YouTube were all launched on MySpace as widgets providing additional functionality to the site. Other sites created layouts to personalize the site and made hundreds of thousands of dollars for its owners most of whom were in their late teens and early twenties