Looking ahead, this upward trend is expected to continue. By 2026, global advertising spending is projected to reach $1.24 trillion.
The global advertising market is poised for a significant leap, with ad spending anticipated to grow by 10.7% this year, surpassing $1 trillion for the first time, according to the latest report by Warc Media.
The study revealed this represents an improvement of 0.2 percentage points compared to their August forecast, while the $104 billion increase in spending this year would be the second-largest in history.
Looking forward, this upward trend is expected to persist. By 2026, global ad spending is projected to hit $1.24 trillion, marking an 80% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Although growth continues to be driven by the digital sector, this year has been positive for television, according to Warc. Linear TV ad spending is expected to end the year with a 1.9% increase, reaching $153.6 billion, following two years of decline. Political spending, particularly in the United States, along with the Paris Olympics and the Euro 2024 football tournament, contributed to improved prospects for linear television. However, its share of ad spending continues to decline, dropping to 14.3% from a peak of 41.3% in 2013.
Pure-play internet platforms, which include companies like Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta, will see a 14.1% increase in ad spending, reaching $741.4 billion, accounting for nearly 70% of all global ad spending. Social media dominates with a total of $252.7 billion, representing 23.5% of the market.
James McDonald, Director of Data, Intelligence, and Forecasting at Warc and author of the research, commented: “In our latest forecast, we anticipate a $104 billion increase in global ad spending this year, the largest on record aside from the post-pandemic recovery year of 2021. However, it remains unclear if this boom will persist, as 2025 presents a critical juncture due to growing regulatory pressures on Google and TikTok, which together account for a quarter of the ad market outside China. This, along with an increasingly challenging geopolitical climate, could signal uncertain times ahead for businesses reliant on advertising-driven commerce.”
