Chinese Internet company Sohu.com announced that it recorded its first full-year profit in 2003. Nasdaq-listed Sohu's profit for the year under US accounting rules totaled US$26.4 million, an improvement on losses of US$1 million and US$13.3 million in 2002 and 2001, respectively.
Sohu's emergence from out of the red was driven by an expansion in advertising revenues as well as the growing popularity of online gaming and messaging in China. Its revenues in 2003 grew 180% over the previous year to US$80.4 million, of which US$29.5 million came from advertising.
One of the fastest-growing revenue sources was payments for wireless Internet access via mobile phones, which increased 242% year-on-year.