British Online Advertising to Exceed TV by 2009

LONDON, January 4: A new report from WPP’s media buying
operation GroupM indicates that the Internet will take a greater share of the
British advertising market than TV will in 2009.

British Internet adspend is expected to rise almost 31
percent this year to £3.4 billion; as compared with a projected 1 percent
growth, to £3.6 billion, for television. By year end, the Internet’s share of
the ad pie is expected to grow to 24.8 percent, just behind TV’s 26 percent. A
projected 6 percent growth in Internet advertising in 2009 will allow the
medium to overtake TV.

The report also notes that the Internet will outpace TV
advertising in Sweden this year, with a 19.5 percent share, versus TV’s 19.2
percent.

—By Mansha Daswani