Tag: WARC

Netflix is set to take nearly 10% of global CTV ad spend next year

Stuart Mitchell

Netflix, an established leader in original content production and streaming, has entered a new ad-funded era. Subscription fees still provide the bulk of its revenue with ad revenue accounting for just 3% of its total full-year earnings. But Netflix’s ad tier has evolved from experimental offerings to a primary engine for platform growth. According to WARC forecasts, the company is on track to win nearly 10% of global connected TV (CTV) ad spend in 2027.  This latest Platform Insights report by WARC Media explores Netflix’s ad business, advertiser sentiment, and potential next steps – from prospective acquisitions to new ventures in podcasts, gaming and live events.  …

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WARC releases Earnings Debrief – a new quarterly summary comparing Big Tech’s ad revenue performance against WARC Media’s global ad spend forecast data

Stuart Mitchell

The final quarter of the year revealed a divergence in performance across Big Tech platforms, with Amazon emerging as the clear outperformer against expectations while YouTube fell notably short. This is according to new analysis by WARC Media. WARC Media’s Earnings Debrief, is a new quarterly series that reviews the financial releases of Big Tech and compares their ad revenue performance against WARC Media’s quarterly global ad spend forecast data, to provide a current round-up of their ad spend.  James McDonald, Director of Data, Intelligence & Forecasts, WARC, said: “WARC Media’s Earnings Debrief cuts through the headline numbers to show what’s really driving…

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‘Systems Planning’: A new model for media planning as traditional approaches collapse

Stuart Mitchell

WARC’s latest forecasts show that global advertising spend is forecast to grow 9.1% in 2026 to $1.30trn, doubling in size since the pandemic and equivalent to $150 spent on every person.  The incremental growth is mostly being captured by digital platforms, not traditional channels. Almost 80% of ad spend now flows into retail media, paid search, and social platforms. The remaining 20% is shared across the whole of the rest of the media industry. These changes in the media landscape are forcing a rethink of traditional planning approaches.   Paul Stringer, Managing Editor, Research & Insights, WARC, says: “The established model for media planning and buying…

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Global ad market prospects upgraded to 8.9% (US$1.19trn) but growth concentrated in Big Tech platforms

Stuart Mitchell

A new study from WARC, the experts in marketing effectiveness, has found that global advertising spend is now on course to close out 2025 with growth of 8.9% to $1.19trn, an upgrade of 1.5 percentage points (pp) from WARC’s September forecast due to strong results from Big Tech platforms and a muted impact on global trade from trade tariffs.   A further rise of 9.1% (+1.0pp since September) to $1.30trn is forecast next year, while growth of 7.9% (+0.8pp) in 2027 would push the market’s value to $1.40trn – a doubling in size since the pandemic and equivalent to $150 spent for every person alive today.  The new projections are included…

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Budget expectations fall faster than business optimism for marketers in 2026

Stuart Mitchell

Only a fifth (19%) of brand marketers expect budgets to rise next year, despite over half (59%) believing business will improve.   40 percentage point gap highlights continuing need for marketers to do more with less  WARC releases The Voice of the Marketer report- a deep dive into a survey of 1,000+ marketers worldwide  Marketers’ cooling optimism, uncertainty around US trade policies, the impact of AI adoption and the dominance of digital channels on media planning, are the top themes examined in WARC’s Voice of the Marketer report.    Part of WARC’s Evolution of Marketing programme, The Voice of the Marketer uncovers marketers’…

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