The coming year may not have ad spending boosters like a presidential campaign or the Summer Olympics, but the outlook for advertising remains robust, according to global ad giant Dentsu. The firm is forecasting the Americas to once again be the region where ad spending will increase the most in 2025. Dentsu projects U.S. ad spending will jump 5% in 2025, following a political-fueled 6.7% growth rate this year. Across the border, the projection for Canada has been revised up to 4.2% for 2024, with a more moderate 3.6% growth rate predicted for the coming year.
Dentsu predicts global ad investment in audio will increase at a faster pace next year. “Audio ad spend shows resilience,” the report says. The agency predicts audio spending will climb 1.8% in 2025, rising to $36.4 billion worldwide. That is more than double the 0.8% growth rate for the current year. “The retail sector that is keen to leverage radio’s proximity to the point of sale remains three key growth drivers,” Dentsu says. The agency also projects that global ad spending on podcasts will climb 5.3% next year, writing “Audio’s growth comes from digital, where ads can generate high attention.”
In 2025, digital ad spending is expected to increase by 9.2% with Dentsu projecting digital will capture 62.7% of the total advertising market next year. Television ad spend growth is forecast to show marginal growth of 0.6% worldwide in 2025, with connected TV rapidly increasing (+18.4%) thanks to ad-supported streaming, and broadcast television declining (-2.5%). Meanwhile, print media continues to contract, while cinema (+3.2%) and out-of-home (+3.9%) advertising continue to grow.
While television spending is under threat, Dentsu says in the US retail media network spending is expected to reach $64.7 million this year, surpassing broadcast TV’s estimated $55.3 million of ad revenue. It believes retail networks will overtaken by paid search by 2027 as more retailers venture into the media business. “The space is evolving so rapidly that retailers could not only dominate the retail media category in the future but dictate the entire advertising market,” it says.
The predicted strength in the global ad market next year is driven in part by Dentsu’s CMO Navigator research. It shows 87% of marketing executives believe the economy will get better in the next six to 12 months, and only a quarter (26%) report that the economy has negatively affected their organization’s business.
To stay competitive, 89% of CMOs also anticipate marketing budgets will increase next year, with CMOs from North America the most bullish about potential increases. The research shows media buys will play a central role in corporate plans, with 88% of CMOs considering it as a strategic lever they will pull to drive business growth in 2025.
“We expect strong growth from advertisers in finance (+6.4%) and pharmaceutical (+5.8%) in 2025,” the report says. Dentsu points to a global uptick in financial advertising as driven by a rebound in insurance spending as companies regain confidence following a pause in largescale campaigns in previous years. It also predicts increased spending in the travel and transportation sector (+5.5%).
Looking ahead to 2026, Dentsu says it is difficult to forecast in the current macro environment but it expects ad spending to benefit from both the Winter Olympics set for Italy, and the World Cup—which will be in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The agency currently projects global ad spending will climb 5.9% in 2026. That includes an estimated 5.3% growth rate for the US ad market.
Download the full Dentsu Global Ad Spend Forecasts HERE.
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