The news: Coursera’s $950 million all-stock acquisition of Udemy is a consolidation play rooted in survival, not expansion. The deal brings together two of the largest US-based online learning platforms as demand for online education cools amid cheaper AI-driven learning tools and employers pulling training in-house, per The Information.
Financials reflect the slowdown. Udemy’s revenues grew just 1.5% YoY, with growth flat in Q3. Coursera posted 10% YoY revenue growth in the third quarter, though that remains far below pandemic peaks.
The problem: Traffic is eroding as AI reshapes how people learn. Similarweb data cited by PPC Land shows Udemy’s visits fell 12.61% between April and June 2025, while Coursera’s declined 9.98%. AI tools now answer questions, tutor skills, and personalize learning without requiring a destination platform, weakening top-of-funnel demand.
The solution and brand impact: As a combined platform, Coursera and Udemy gain scale, broader catalogs, and deeper enterprise data to defend relevance as basic skills become commoditized by AI. That scale also shifts power.
Brand sponsorships will become fewer, more structured, and more costly. The platform will prioritize partners that add value, not volume.
Key stat: Only 18% of technology marketers used online learning platforms as a content distribution channel in the past 12 months. That puts platforms like Coursera and Udemy well below blogs at 93%, organic social at 90%, email newsletters at 80%, per CMI.
What this means for brands: Online learning is becoming a gated, premium environment shaped by AI and consolidation. As Coursera and Udemy merge, brands should expect fewer sponsorship slots, tighter rules, and higher prices. Scale favors partners that bring depth—credentialed content, proprietary data, or clear career outcomes—not broad awareness plays.
For most marketers, blogs, email, and social still do the heavy lifting. Learning platforms now work best as credibility layers—used sparingly, tied to enterprise buyers, and aligned with measurable upskilling goals.