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Digital Advertising Spending Statistics 2026

US internet advertising revenue reached $294.6 billion in 2025, up 13.9%, according to the IAB/PwC report, with social media ads up 32.6% to $117.7 billion and search up 11% to $114.2 billion. WPP Media expects global ad revenue to grow 8.9% to $1.3 trillion in 2026, and Alphabet, Meta and Amazon control 57.6% of the market outside China. Prices are rising too: Meta's average price per ad was up 14% in Q3 2026 and Google's cost per click up 4%.

Download CSVCite this pageUpdated November 4, 2026 · 16 sources · 52/52 quotes re-checked

This page tracks how much money advertisers put into digital channels, who collects it and what each ad costs. It covers the US market in 2025 from the IAB/PwC revenue report, the global 2026 forecast from WPP Media, European and UK spending from IAB Europe and the Advertising Association with WARC, and quarterly 2026 results that the largest ad sellers filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Figures are in US dollars unless a euro or pound amount is stated.

Digital advertising is now the bulk of all advertising money. The IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report put US digital ad revenue at $294.6 billion in 2025, up 13.9%, and WPP Media forecasts $1.3 trillion of global ad revenue in 2026 after raising its growth estimate from 7.1% to 8.9%. Europe is smaller but growing at a similar rate: IAB Europe measured €131 billion in 2025, up 10.5%, and the Advertising Association and WARC expect UK spend of £51.3 billion in 2026.

The mix inside that spend is shifting toward social, video and retail data. Social ad revenue in the US grew 32.6% to $117.7 billion. Search, which IAB still describes as holding the largest share of revenue, reached $114.2 billion, but its growth slowed to 11% from 15.9% a year earlier. Commerce media reached $63.4 billion in the US, retail media passed 10% of European digital spend, and the AA/WARC forecast has UK retail media growing 23.0% in 2026, faster than any other channel.

The money is concentrated. WPP Media says Alphabet, Meta and Amazon hold 57.6% of the market outside China. In Q3 2026 alone, Google booked $63,350 million from Search and other properties, Meta $63,061 million in advertising and Amazon $19,637 million in advertising services, according to their SEC filings. Smaller sellers grew faster from lower bases: Reddit's ad revenue rose from about $549 million to about $847 million year over year, and Walmart said its global ad business grew 38%.

For buyers, the practical signal is price. Meta's average price per ad rose 14% in Q3 2026 while impressions rose 10%, so more of the revenue growth came from charging more per ad. Alphabet reported cost per click up 4% and cost per impression on its network up 14%. Pinterest earned $8.38 per US and Canada user in the quarter against $0.23 in its rest of world region, which shows how much more North American attention costs. Budgets that stay flat buy fewer impressions each year.

01

US digital ad revenue by format

The IAB/PwC report is the standard measure of US internet ad revenue and is built from company data rather than a survey. In 2025 social media ad revenue grew almost three times as fast as search, although IAB still describes search as holding the largest share of revenue. Formats overlap: a social video ad can count in social, video and programmatic at once, so the format totals add up to more than the $294.6 billion headline. Use the total for market size and the formats for direction.

US digital ad revenue by format, 2025 ($ billions)

US internet advertising revenue, full year 2025. Formats overlap, so they sum to more than the $294.6 billion total.

  • Social$118
  • Search$114
  • Display$81.6
  • Digital video$78
  • Commerce media$63.4
  • Podcast$2.9

Source: IAB and PwC, Digital Ad Revenue Climbs to Nearly $300B as IAB Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary

02

Global ad market size and concentration

WPP Media's midyear forecast is one of the few public estimates of total global ad revenue, and it excludes US political spending. The upgrade from 7.1% to 8.9% growth in six months shows how much stronger 2026 turned out than agencies expected. The concentration figure matters for buyers: when three sellers hold most of the market, their pricing changes set the cost of digital reach for everyone. Generative AI search is still small in dollars but is forecast to scale quickly.

  • $1.3 trillion

    WPP Media forecasts global advertising revenue, excluding US political ads, will grow 8.9% in 2026 to $1.3 trillion, up from the 7.1% it forecast in December 2025.

    WPP Media · This Year Next Year 2026 Midyear Forecast: Global ad revenue to grow 8.9% to $1.3 trillion (Jun 2026)

    Exact quote

    WPP Media’s This Year Next Year 2026 Global Midyear forecast now projects global advertising revenue (excluding U.S. political) will grow 8.9% by the end of 2026, reaching $1.3 trillion , an upward revision from the 7.1% we forecast in December .

  • 57.6%

    Alphabet, Meta and Amazon control 57.6% of the global ad market outside China, according to WPP Media's 2026 forecast.

    WPP Media · This Year Next Year 2026 Midyear Forecast: Global ad revenue to grow 8.9% to $1.3 trillion (Jun 2026)

    Exact quote

    Market power remains highly concentrated, with the top three sellers outside China (Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon) controlling 57.6% of the market, and traditional media owners entirely absent from the global top ten.

  • $5.1 billion

    Generative AI search advertising is worth about $5.1 billion globally in 2026 and is projected to pass $100 billion by 2030.

    WPP Media · This Year Next Year 2026 Midyear Forecast: Global ad revenue to grow 8.9% to $1.3 trillion (Jun 2026)

    Exact quote

    Looking forward, Generative Search is set to become the fastest-scaling channel ever recorded, projected to jump from $5.1 billion in 2026 to over $100 billion by 2030 .

  • $720.2 billion

    Global content-driven advertising, which includes TV, streaming, gaming and social, is forecast at $720.2 billion in 2026, up 8.2%.

    WPP Media · This Year Next Year 2026 Midyear Forecast: Global ad revenue to grow 8.9% to $1.3 trillion (Jun 2026)

    Exact quote

    While global content-driven advertising has been revised upward to reach $720.2 billion in 2026 (+8.2%), this headline figure masks uneven trajectories for channels within it – gaming, streaming TV and social continue to grow while linear TV and audio plateau.

03

Europe and UK ad spending

IAB Europe's AdEx Benchmark covers digital spend across European markets in euros, while the AA/WARC Expenditure Report covers all UK advertising, digital and traditional, in pounds. Both show growth near 10% a year, led by video, social and retail media, with search growing more slowly. IAB Europe also reports real growth after inflation, which is a useful check: 10.5% nominal growth was 9.4% in real terms. The UK 2026 and 2027 numbers are forecasts and get revised each quarter.

Forecast UK ad spend growth by channel, 2026

Year on year growth forecast for full-year 2026, published October 2026.

  • Retail media23%
  • Social media20.7%
  • Addressable TV14.7%
  • Out of home10.8%
  • Search9.1%
  • Digital radio9.1%
  • Cinema6.9%
  • Direct mail4.1%
  • Total TV0.9%

Source: Advertising Association and WARC, UK Advertising Forecast to Reach Record £14.0bn in Festive Quarter

04

What the biggest ad sellers earn

These figures come from quarterly filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, so they are company-reported results rather than third-party estimates. They show where advertiser budgets end up: Google Search and Meta each took about $63 billion in Q3 2026, roughly three times Amazon's ad business. Growth rates at smaller sellers such as Reddit, Walmart and Roku are higher, but from much lower bases. Companies define advertising revenue differently, so compare growth rates more than levels.

Google ad revenue by type, Q3 2026 ($ millions)

Three months ended September 30, 2026, in millions of US dollars.

$63,350
$11,207
$7,455
Search and otherYouTube adsGoogle Network

Source: Alphabet, Alphabet Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026

  • $63,350 million

    Google Search and other properties generated $63,350 million in revenue in Q3 2026, up from $56,567 million a year earlier.

    Alphabet · Alphabet Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    Google Search & other $ 56,567 $ 63,350 $ 161,459 $ 187,020

  • $11,207 million

    YouTube ad revenue was $11,207 million in Q3 2026, compared with $10,261 million in Q3 2025.

    Alphabet · Alphabet Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    YouTube ads 10,261 11,207 28,984 32,145

  • $63,061 million

    Meta's advertising revenue was $63,061 million in Q3 2026, up from $50,082 million in Q3 2025.

    Meta Platforms · Meta Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    Advertising $ 63,061 $ 50,082 $ 177,449 $ 138,037

  • $64.60 billion

    Meta's total revenue for Q3 2026 was $64.60 billion, up 26% year over year.

    Meta Platforms · Meta Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    Revenue was $64.60 billion, an increase of 26% year-over-year on both a reported and constant currency basis.

  • $19,637 million

    Amazon's advertising services revenue was $19,637 million in Q3 2026, up from $17,703 million a year earlier.

    Amazon · Amazon.com, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    Advertising services (4) 17,703 19,637 47,318 56,689

  • 12%

    Microsoft's search and advertising revenue, excluding traffic acquisition costs, grew 12% in the quarter ended September 30, 2026.

    Microsoft · Microsoft Corporation Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    Search and advertising revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs increased 12% driven by higher rate and volume across LinkedIn, Edge, and Bing.

  • $846,996 thousand

    Reddit's advertising revenue was $846,996 thousand, or about $847 million, in Q3 2026, up from $549,342 thousand in Q3 2025.

    Reddit · Reddit, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    Advertising revenue $ 846,996 $ 549,342 $ 2,233,291 $ 1,372,757

  • 38%

    Walmart's global advertising business grew 38% in its fiscal 2027 second quarter, with Walmart Connect, excluding VIZIO, up 43%.

    Walmart · Walmart Q2 FY27 earnings release (Aug 2026)

    Exact quote

    Strong advertising growth continued, up 38% overall, including 43% increase in Walmart Connect (ex-VIZIO)

  • $1,308.3 million

    Roku's platform revenue, mostly streaming TV advertising and distribution fees, was $1,308.3 million in Q3 2026, up from $1,064.6 million.

    Roku · Roku, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Nov 2026)

    Exact quote

    Platform revenue was $1,308.3 million and $1,064.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively.

  • $256 million

    Netflix's advertising revenue rose by $256 million year over year in Q3 2026, alongside $1,057 million of subscription revenue growth.

    Netflix · Netflix, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    Revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2026 increased 12% as compared to the three months ended September 30, 2025, primarily due to the growth in subscription revenue of $1,057 million, which reflects increases in memberships and pricing, and an increase of $256 million in advertising revenue.

  • $1,282,522 thousand

    Snap's advertising revenue was $1,282,522 thousand, or about $1.28 billion, in Q2 2026, up from $1,173,548 thousand in Q2 2025.

    Snap · Snap Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 (Aug 2026)

    Exact quote

    Advertising revenue $ 1,282,522 $ 1,173,548 $ 2,525,984 $ 2,384,417

05

Ad prices: cost per ad, click and user

Platforms do not publish rate cards, but their filings report how prices moved. Meta's price per ad and Alphabet's cost per click and cost per impression are averages across all advertisers, countries and formats, so a single campaign can see very different changes. Average revenue per user is another price signal: it shows what a platform earns from each person's attention. In 2026 prices rose faster than ad volume at Meta, which means advertisers paid more for each impression.

Pinterest revenue per user by region, Q3 2026

Average revenue per monthly active user for the quarter, in US dollars.

$8.38
$1.21
$0.23
US and CanadaEuropeRest of world

Source: Pinterest, Pinterest, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026

  • 14%

    Meta's average price per ad rose 14% year over year in Q3 2026.

    Meta Platforms · Meta Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    Average price per ad increased by 14% year-over-year.

  • 10%

    Ad impressions served across Meta's apps rose 10% year over year in Q3 2026, slower than the rise in price per ad.

    Meta Platforms · Meta Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    Ad impressions delivered across our Family of Apps increased by 10% year-over-year.

  • 4%

    Google's average cost per click on Search and other properties rose 4% in Q3 2026, while paid clicks rose 8%.

    Alphabet · Alphabet Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    Google Search & other Paid clicks change 8 % 11 % Cost-per-click change 4 % 4 %

  • 14%

    On the Google Network of partner sites and apps, cost per impression rose 14% in Q3 2026 while impressions fell 14%.

    Alphabet · Alphabet Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    Google Network Impressions change (14) % (11) % Cost-per-impression change 14 % 11 %

  • $1.80

    Pinterest's global average revenue per user was $1.80 in Q3 2026, up 1% year over year.

    Pinterest · Pinterest, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    For the three months ended September 30, 2026, global ARPU was $1.80, which represents an increase of 1% compared to the three months ended September 30, 2025.

  • $8.38

    Pinterest earned $8.38 per US and Canada user in Q3 2026, up 10%, against $1.21 in Europe and $0.23 in the rest of the world.

    Pinterest · Pinterest, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    For the three months ended September 30, 2026, U.S. and Canada ARPU was $8.38, an increase of 10%, Europe ARPU was $1.21, a decrease of 7%, and Rest of World ARPU was $0.23, an increase of 9% compared to the three months ended September 30, 2025.

  • $3.25

    Snap's average revenue per user was $3.25 in Q2 2026, up from $2.87 a year earlier.

    Snap · Snap Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 (Aug 2026)

    Exact quote

    ARPU was $3.25 in the second quarter of 2026, compared to $2.87 in the second quarter of 2025.

06

How buyers spend on video and CTV

The IAB Digital Video Ad Spend and Strategy report surveys US ad buyers, so these figures describe plans and opinions rather than measured spend. Buyers expect video budgets to keep rising, but many doubt the quality of what they buy, especially in open exchanges. That doubt is a cost issue: inventory that buyers cannot verify tends to be discounted or skipped. Generative AI is also moving into creative production, which may lower the cost of making ads.

FAQ

How much is spent on digital advertising in the US?

US internet advertising revenue was $294.6 billion in 2025, up 13.9% from 2024, according to the IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report. Social media ads earned $117.7 billion and search $114.2 billion.

How big is the global advertising market in 2026?

WPP Media forecasts global ad revenue of $1.3 trillion in 2026, growth of 8.9%, excluding US political ads. It estimates that Alphabet, Meta and Amazon control 57.6% of the market outside China.

Are digital ad prices going up?

Yes, at the largest platforms. Meta reported its average price per ad up 14% in Q3 2026, and Alphabet reported cost per click on Google Search up 4% and cost per impression on its network up 14% in the same quarter.

How much does Europe spend on digital advertising?

IAB Europe measured €131 billion of digital ad spend in 2025, up 10.5%. Video reached €34.0 billion, social €35.5 billion and retail media €13.3 billion.

Which ad channel is growing fastest?

In the US, social ads grew 32.6% and video 25.4% in 2025, per IAB and PwC. In the UK, the Advertising Association and WARC forecast retail media to grow 23.0% in 2026, ahead of social media at 20.7%.

Methodology note

We selected figures that measure money spent on advertising, revenue earned from it, or the price of ads, and took each from the organization that produced it: industry bodies that collect company data (IAB with PwC, IAB Europe, the Advertising Association with WARC), a media agency forecast (WPP Media), and quarterly SEC filings by ad sellers. Definitions differ. IAB counts US internet ad revenue, IAB Europe counts European digital spend in euros, AA/WARC counts all UK media in pounds, and WPP Media forecasts global revenue excluding US political ads. Company filings use their own segment definitions, and Walmart's fiscal year runs ahead of the calendar. Forecasts are marked as such and are revised often. Survey figures from IAB's video report reflect buyer opinion, not measured spend. Every quote is re-fetched from the source by our checker. See how we rank and verify.

Sources

  1. 1Advertising Association and WARC: AA/WARC updates advertising expenditure report to capture evolving UK media landscape and records £46.7bn media investment in 2025
  2. 2Advertising Association and WARC: UK Advertising Forecast to Reach Record £14.0bn in Festive Quarter
  3. 3Alphabet: Alphabet Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026
  4. 4Amazon: Amazon.com, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026
  5. 5IAB: Business Outcomes Are Just the Beginning, According to IAB Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Full Report
  6. 6IAB and PwC: Digital Ad Revenue Climbs to Nearly $300B as IAB Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary
  7. 7IAB Europe: IAB Europe’s AdEx Benchmark 2025 Report: European Digital Advertising Market Records 10.5% Growth to Reach €131 Billion
  8. 8Meta Platforms: Meta Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
  9. 9Microsoft: Microsoft Corporation Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026
  10. 10Netflix: Netflix, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026
  11. 11Pinterest: Pinterest, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026
  12. 12Reddit: Reddit, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026
  13. 13Roku: Roku, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026
  14. 14Snap: Snap Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026
  15. 15Walmart: Walmart Q2 FY27 earnings release
  16. 16WPP Media: This Year Next Year 2026 Midyear Forecast: Global ad revenue to grow 8.9% to $1.3 trillion

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Rankozo. (2026, November 4). Digital Advertising Spending Statistics 2026. https://rankozo.com/digital-advertising-spending-statistics

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