A new report from Artnet reveals that online-only auctions at Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Phillips, Bonhams, and Artnet Auctions generated $423.9 million in 2025, an 8% increase from 2024. The average price of artworks sold online also rose 8.6% to $14,309, with some platforms like Fair Warning finding success through hyper-specific sales, such as one centered on Andy Warhol’s 1974 portrait of Brigitte Bardot. Christie’s reported that 63% of new buyers made their first purchase online in 2025, where the average price point was $22,700.
This growth matters because it signals a lasting shift in the art market toward digital sales, accelerated by the pandemic but now sustained by younger collectors. Online-only auctions in 2025 were 270% higher than in 2019, demonstrating that the channel has become a permanent fixture rather than a temporary response. The findings align with a broader Art Basel and UBS report showing the global art market rebounded modestly to approximately $59.6 billion in total sales in 2025, after two years of decline.