Our newsletterIndustry surveyInteractive Advertising Bureau, Sep 2026
Social media and CTV are expected to see the fastest ad spend growth in 2026, with both channels' forecasts rising since January
Budget allocation
| Channel | % change |
|---|---|
| Social Media | 16.5% |
| CTV | 15.6% |
| Digital Video excl. CTV | 9.4% |
| Podcasts | 8.7% |
| Paid Search (SEM) | 8.1% |
| Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) | 7% |
| Digital Display | 6.7% |
| Digital Audio excl. Podcasts | 3.6% |
| Gaming | 4.1% |
| Other Traditional Media | -2.3% |
| Linear TV | -1.5% |
Projected % change in U.S. ad spend by channel, Sep '26 forecast
Projected % change in U.S. ad spend by channel, Sep '26 forecast- Reader Note:
- Social media and CTV saw project growth boosts after high-profile media events in 2026.
- Evidence:
- Stated intention
- Vendor interest:
- Moderate — This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.
- Sample:
- Email survey of 211 U.S. buy-side ad investment decision-makers, primarily at agencies (52%) and brands (44%); fielded July 17-31, 2026.
Reader Note:
Evidence:
Vendor interest:
Sample:Good for
Reading the mood, and deciding what to test yourself.
Not for
- Predicting what people will actually do. Intentions and behaviour come apart.
- This is an aggregated or average number that covers very different cases. Real results in a particular segment may differ.
- This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.
- The source says how much it looked at, but not how any of it was chosen.
Related cards
Budget allocationIdea
IdeaNearly half of all marketers allocate nothing to consumer research in influencer marketing, and no one allocates more than 10%
Trend
Go deeper on this topic
Our Substack turns the data behind these cards into full breakdowns: what changed, why, and what to do about it.
Budget allocationTrend
In 2025, 71% of organizations increased influencer marketing investment year over year