The Majority of Advertising Dollars are Now Being Spent Online

The Briefing

• In the last decade, digital ad spend in the U.S. has surged
• It’s estimated by GroupM that 49% of ad spend will have taken place online this year, but in 2021 that portion will surge to 54%
• U.S. spending on pure-play internet advertising is expected to reach a whopping $151 billion by the year 2024
• In contrast, more traditional forms of advertising have shown significant drops in popularity

The Growth of Internet Ad Spend in America

Ad spend in the U.S. generates billions in revenue—in 2019, the top 10 marketers spent over $41 billion on various forms of advertising.

While the ad industry has taken a significant hit in 2020 because of COVID-19, it’s projected to see overall growth in 2021, and a majority of this growth is expected to come in the form of internet advertising.

Internet ads have surged in popularity over the last decade. Here’s a look at the total spend on pure-play internet ads since 2012:

While internet advertising has increased over the years, more traditional forms have nose-dived in percentage terms.

For instance, ad spend on directories reached $6 billion in 2012. By 2024, they’re projected to generate merely $68 million in revenue.

Like directories, newspaper and magazine spend have seen significant drops since 2012, with projected decreases on the horizon.

»To learn more, read our full article: How Total Spend by U.S. Advertisers Has Changed, Over 20 Years.

Where does this data come from?

Source: Group M.
Details: Numbers were sourced from This Year Next Year June 2020 Report
Notes: Figures use media ad revenue that includes political advertising. Numbers were rounded for clarity. Data for traditional media includes digital media extensions.