Ad spending, channel mix and the marketing numbers people quote most, each checked against the report it came from.
in US internet advertising revenue in 2025, up 13.9% from 2024 and the highest in the report's 30 years
| Group | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $72.6B |
| 2017 | $88.3B |
| 2018 | $107.5B |
| 2019 | $124.6B |
| 2020 | $139.8B |
| 2021 | $189.3B |
| 2022 | $209.7B |
| 2023 | $225B |
| 2024 | $258.6B |
| 2025 | $294.6B |
in US internet advertising revenue in 2025, up 13.9% from 2024 and the highest in the report's 30 years
Chart studio
Switch the chart type and the style; sort it, download it or embed it. Hover a bar for the exact value.
| Group | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $72.6B |
| 2017 | $88.3B |
| 2018 | $107.5B |
| 2019 | $124.6B |
| 2020 | $139.8B |
| 2021 | $189.3B |
| 2022 | $209.7B |
| 2023 | $225B |
| 2024 | $258.6B |
| 2025 | $294.6B |
Same data, any style
| Group | Revenue 2025 |
|---|---|
| Social media | $117.7B |
| Search | $114.2B |
| Display | $81.6B |
| Digital video | $78B |
| Commerce media | $63.4B |
| Podcast | $2.9B |
| Group | Growth |
|---|---|
| Social media | 32.6% |
| Digital video | 25.4% |
| Programmatic | 20.5% |
| Commerce media | 18% |
| Podcast | 17.6% |
| Search | 11% |
| Display | 9.8% |
| Group | Average budget |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 6.4% |
| 2022 | 9.5% |
| 2023 | 9.1% |
| 2024 | 7.7% |
| 2025 | 7.7% |
| 2026 | 7.8% |
Every stat
Each card links to its own page with the source, a ready citation and the data.
in US internet advertising revenue in 2025, up 13.9% from 2024 and the highest in the report's 30 years
Sample: US only. Revenue reported to PwC by companies that sell ads online, plus public company data. PwC does not audit the figures.
in US social media ad revenue in 2025, up 32.6%; search brought in $114.2B (formats overlap, and IAB still ranks search as the largest share)
Sample: US only. Revenue reported to PwC by companies that sell ads online, plus public company data. PwC does not audit the figures.
in US search ad revenue in 2025, up 11%, slower than the 15.9% growth in 2024
Sample: US only. Revenue reported to PwC by companies that sell ads online, plus public company data. PwC does not audit the figures.
in US digital video ad revenue in 2025, including CTV, social video and online video, up 25.4%
Sample: US only. Revenue reported to PwC by companies that sell ads online, plus public company data. PwC does not audit the figures.
in US commerce media ad revenue in 2025, such as retailer ads, up 18%
Sample: US only. Revenue reported to PwC by companies that sell ads online, plus public company data. PwC does not audit the figures.
in US display ad revenue in 2025, up 9.8%
Sample: US only. Revenue reported to PwC by companies that sell ads online, plus public company data. PwC does not audit the figures.
in US podcast ad revenue in 2025, up 17.6%
Sample: US only. Revenue reported to PwC by companies that sell ads online, plus public company data. PwC does not audit the figures.
in US programmatic ad revenue in 2025, bought by automated systems, up 20.5%
Sample: US only. Revenue reported to PwC by companies that sell ads online, plus public company data. PwC does not audit the figures.
spent by US advertisers on creator advertising in 2025, growing faster than the ad market
Sample: US only. Revenue reported to PwC by companies that sell ads online, plus public company data. PwC does not audit the figures.
of US digital video ad buyers were already running live campaigns with agentic AI in early 2026; 20% more were testing it
Sample: Advertiser Perceptions online survey of 360 US ad buyers at brands and agencies who spent at least $1M on ads in 2025, fielded 20 Feb to 13 Mar 2026.
of company revenue is the average marketing budget in 2026, up from 7.7% in 2025, among mostly large firms
Sample: 401 CMOs and marketing leaders in North America, the UK and Europe, surveyed January to March 2026; the vast majority at firms with over $1 billion in annual revenue.
of marketing budgets goes to AI initiatives on average in 2026, among mostly large firms
Sample: 401 CMOs and marketing leaders in North America, the UK and Europe, surveyed January to March 2026; the vast majority at firms with over $1 billion in annual revenue.
of CMOs report mature or fully developed AI readiness, though 70% call AI leadership a critical 2026 goal
Sample: 401 CMOs and marketing leaders in North America, the UK and Europe, surveyed January to March 2026; the vast majority at firms with over $1 billion in annual revenue.
of CMOs say their marketing team lacks the budget to deliver its 2026 strategy
Sample: 401 CMOs and marketing leaders in North America, the UK and Europe, surveyed January to March 2026; the vast majority at firms with over $1 billion in annual revenue.
of marketing teams say they use AI in at least a few marketing areas; only 1.7% neither use it nor plan to
Sample: HubSpot survey of over 1,500 B2B and B2C marketers across industries, regions and company sizes (vendor survey).
of marketers name measuring marketing ROI as their top challenge in 2026, the most common answer
Sample: HubSpot survey of over 1,500 B2B and B2C marketers across industries, regions and company sizes (vendor survey).
of marketing leaders say email returns $10 to $36 for every $1 spent, the most common answer; 30% say $36 to $50
Sample: Litmus survey of marketing leaders (vendor). The page mentions data from nearly 500 marketing professionals.
of marketing leaders do not measure the ROI of their email marketing, down from 36% in 2023
Sample: Litmus survey of marketing leaders (vendor).
was the median yearly wage of US marketing managers in May 2025
Sample: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, US employers.
advertising, promotions and marketing manager jobs in the US in 2025, projected to grow 6% by 2035
Sample: BLS Employment Projections program.
openings a year are projected for US advertising, promotions and marketing managers from 2025 to 2035
of EU firms that use AI use it for marketing or sales, the most common purpose
Sample: EU enterprises with 10 or more employees and self-employed persons; ICT usage survey 2025.
of EU retailers that use AI use it for marketing or sales
Sample: EU enterprises with 10 or more employees and self-employed persons; ICT usage survey 2025.
of global digital advertising revenue goes to just five platforms, according to UN Trade and Development (the page says "over 70%")
Reconciled
The different numbers you see quoted are often all real: they come from different panels, years and questions. Here they are side by side.
| Number | When | Who measured | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| $78B | 2025 | IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report | Revenue reported by ad sellers; includes CTV, social video, online video and short-form video |
| over $80B | 2026 projection | IAB with Guideline and Advertiser Perceptions | Agency billing data plus a buyer survey; growth of 11% implies a 2025 base below $78B, so the two methods differ |
Stat check
Famous stats with no real source, or quoted wrong, and where they came from.
It takes 7 touches (the 'rule of 7') before someone buys
Usually credited to 1930s film studios and movie posters. No study, memo or data has been traced; the number is repeated from blog to blog. Research on repeated exposure exists, but none sets a threshold of seven. Where it came from
Email marketing returns $42 for every $1 spent
The figure is from the UK Data & Marketing Association's Marketer Email Tracker 2019: just over 42 pounds per pound, estimated by UK marketers in a 2019 survey. It was never a US dollar figure and is now seven years old. Where it came from
Quote this instead: 35%Email returns $36 for every $1 spent
Litmus reports ROI in bands, not an average. In its 2025 State of Email data, 35% of marketing leaders said $10-$36 and 30% said $36-$50; 21% do not measure email ROI at all. $36 is the edge of a band. Where it came from
Quote this instead: 35%Our attention span is 8 seconds, shorter than a goldfish
A 2015 Microsoft Canada report credited 'Statistic Brain'; the bodies it named had no such research. Where it came from
57% of the buying process is done before talking to sales
A 2011 CEB and Google study of B2B buyers at 22 companies; an average that hides wide variation, also quoted as 65% and 67%. Where it came from
88% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
A 2014 BrightLocal survey headline. The article body reports that 88% had read reviews to judge a local business, which measures reading, not trust. The 'trust' figure in the 2013 survey headline was 79%. Where it came from
Every number on this page was checked at its original source. Free to cite with a link to the stat page.
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