WARC Charts CTV Gains, Linear Declines

New WARC data indicates that linear television will account for just 12.4 percent of global ad expenditure this year, while CTV is on the rise globally, led by the U.S.

“There’s no doubt that linear TV’s role is slowly waning, both in viewing and ad spend, as audiences shift to the expanding ecosystem of CTV,” said Alex Brownsell, head of content at WARC Media, on trends identified in the Global Ad Trends report. “However, new players such as Big Tech and retail media sellers hope TV can help them win brand dollars, and smart TV makers are creating their own ad-funded TV channels. As consumers move seamlessly from one form of video to the next, advertisers are being challenged to reappraise how they define TV—be it a specific type of video ad format, a media owner or simply the largest screen in the home—with important implications for planning and buying, frequency management and measurement.”

Linear TV accounted for 41.3 percent of ad spend back in 2013. Between 2014 and 2024, linear TV ad spend fell by 27.5 percent in absolute terms, extending to a 50.8 percent drop when adjusting for inflation. Linear still accounts for more than 75 percent of all TV investment, WARC said, but CTV’s share is on the rise.

Overall, video—excluding social and YouTube— will have a share of almost 16 percent of all ad spend this year. Linear will bring in $143.9 billion this year, slipping to $139.1 billion in 2026, marking its lowest level since 2005. CTV spend will reach almost $40 billion, a 3.4 percent overall share, rising to $44.7 billion next year, driven by the Americas.