The most recent WARC data global ad spend projection predicts that global retail media, ad spend will catch up to linear TV this year and surpass it the following year.
BrandSpur digital news desk reports that this year, it is anticipated that ad investment with linear TV will increase by 1.9% because of major international athletic events, including the Olympics, the US presidential election, and the UEFA European Champions. Only twice since 2016 has linear TV had a positive year-over-year change in spending; the other instance was the consequence of a post-pandemic recovery in 2021.
Global growth in linear TV ad spending is predicted to be 1.2% in 2026 and -5.3% in 2025. However, connected television (CTV) is expected to develop more robustly, with ad expenditure expected to increase from $35.3 billion this year to $40.7 billion in 2026.
Continuing, Global CTV ad spending is expected to surpass publishing (magazines and news brands) spending in 2026.
Retail media, on the other hand, is expected to maintain its double-digit growth trajectory. It is anticipated that the channel will expand by 21.3% this year and 13.8% in 2026, at which point the $201.3 billion invested globally will surpass the amount spent on linear television.
The strength of first-party commerce data, measurement standardisation, and growing channel understanding are driving growing interest and confidence in retail media. The combination of CTV, streaming services, and retail media is one instance, as highlighted in Parmaount+’s recent statement regarding its affiliation with Walmart.
By integrating products into their websites, about four out of five publishers worldwide are also hoping to profit from retail media advertising expenditure. According to a Criteo report, almost two-thirds (69%) of worldwide publishers want to give retail media income priority during the next 12–18 months.
