Global TV ad spend to reach $169.1 billion in 2025 as streaming gains momentum
Linear TV decline continues as streaming services expand ad inventory and measurement capabilities, according to industry forecasts.
Global television advertising revenue is projected to grow 1.9% to reach $169.1 billion in 2025, marked by contrasting trajectories between traditional and streaming platforms, according to GroupM's December 2024 forecast. While streaming TV advertising is expected to surge by 19.3%, linear TV faces a 3.4% decline, highlighting the ongoing transformation of the television landscape.
Linear television will maintain its dominance through 2025, representing 72.6% of total TV revenue at approximately $122 billion. However, according to GroupM's projections, streaming revenue will overtake linear TV in the United States by 2029, marking a significant milestone in the industry's evolution.
Kate Scott-Dawkins, global president of business intelligence at GroupM, identified a crucial distinction in ad delivery between platforms. "Linear TV currently carries 12 minutes of advertising per hour, while streaming platforms average only four to five minutes," she explained during a December 8 media briefing. "The shorter ad pods in streaming can potentially deliver higher engagement as viewers are less likely to leave during breaks."
Luís Rijo
The streaming sector has witnessed substantial growth throughout 2024. According to EMARKETER's forecast, nine streaming services will generate over $1 billion in ad revenue by 2026, a significant increase from just two services in 2020. Netflix has emerged as a key player, growing its ad-supported tier to 70 million monthly active users from 23 million in January.
Major streaming platforms have accelerated their development of advertising capabilities. NBCUniversal's Peacock introduced programmatic bidding for live sports content, while Disney+ reached a milestone with 30% of its global streaming subscriber base now on ad-supported tiers. Netflix plans to launch its own advertising technology platform in Q2 2025, aiming to provide advertisers with enhanced control over their campaigns.
The measurement landscape has also evolved significantly. Comscore secured Media Rating Council accreditation for both local and national TV ratings in March 2024. The Joint Industry Committee, backed by major broadcasters, has certified multiple companies including Comscore, VideoAmp, and ISpot as national video currencies, creating new alternatives to traditional Nielsen measurement.
Traditional media companies are adapting their structures in response to these shifts. Comcast recently announced plans to spin off most of its TV networks into a separate public company, while Warner Bros. Discovery has divided its operations between linear and streaming divisions, suggesting potential strategic changes ahead.
According to Roku's 2025 predictions, approximately three-quarters of all Connected TV transactions were conducted programmatically in 2024, indicating the growing sophistication of the streaming advertising marketplace. Streaming platforms are expanding their measurement partnerships and programmatic capabilities to meet advertiser demands for more precise targeting and performance metrics.
The transformation of the television advertising landscape reflects broader changes in viewer behavior and advertiser requirements. As streaming platforms mature, they are focused on developing more robust advertising infrastructures while maintaining lower ad loads than traditional television to optimize viewer engagement and advertising effectiveness.
Despite these rapid changes, industry analysts emphasize that linear television will retain a significant role in advertising strategies through 2025, particularly for reaching broad audiences with upper-funnel messaging. The coexistence of both linear and streaming platforms continues to shape the television advertising ecosystem as it adapts to evolving consumer preferences and technological capabilities.