Global linear TV Ad spend to decline 11.3% by 2026, says WARC

WARC

By Abimbola Mohammed

The television advertising landscape is undergoing a significant shift.

Linear TV, which traditionally refers to watching broadcast or cable TV in real-time, is facing increasing competition from connected TV (CTV).

At the same time, it also allows viewers to stream content directly to their TVs through devices like smart TVs, streaming boxes, or gaming consoles.

Viewer Habits Drive Strategy Changes

As viewer habits evolve, advertisers are adjusting their strategies, leading to changes in ad spend allocations.

According to the World Advertising Research Center (WARC) global linear TV advertising is expected to decline by 11.3% to $139.1 billion in 2026, down from $143.9 billion this year.

The biggest global TV ad spenders on average now spend just 38% of their ad budgets on TV, while smaller brands spend around 9%.

Brands Show Contrasting Trends

Technology and electronics brands advertising on linear TV have seen major declines, down 42%, and household/domestic product brands have inched up 12%.

In terms of estimated advertising volume spend, linear TV has seen a drop of 28% in absolute dollars from about $201 billion over a 12-year period (from 2013).

Linear TV Share Continues to Shrink

Linear TV’s share of global media spend is now at 12.4% (2025), down from a 41.3% share in 2013.

When adding in connected TV/streaming video, that share will be 15.9%.

Although connected TV/streaming continues to eat into linear TV, it is set to hit $39.9 billion this year, and linear TV still commands 75% of all global TV-video investment.

Global CTV is projected to rise 3.6% next year to $44.7 billion.

CTV Budgets Poised to Grow

According to WARC, 56% of advertisers will increase their CTV budgets in 2026, with the strongest growth in North and South American territories, but much less in Asia-Pacific and European countries.

Expert Insight from WARC

Alex Brownsell, head of content, Warc Media, says: “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.

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

In that case, 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.”