Observed Signal · Apr 30, 2026 · Industry Report · Source: VideoWeek · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Addressable TV Made Up 35% of UK TV Spend in 2025
The Advertising Association (AA) and WARC Expenditure Report shows UK ad investment rose 6.4% year‑on‑year to £46.7bn in 2025, with addressable TV spend growing 37% YoY and representing 35% of total TV spend. Overall TV spend declined 1.2% YoY but still accounted for 11.2% of total ad spend, behind search and social. The AA/WARC updated channel definitions for 2025—separating retail media from search and reclassifying YouTube into social media—which affected growth rates across channels. Retail media grew strongly (17.5% full year; 30.5% in Q4), social media rose 21% across 2025, and search grew more modestly when retail media is excluded. The report forecasts UK ad spend to climb to £49.8bn in 2026 and £52.6bn in 2027.
The AA/WARC Expenditure Report updates channel definitions and provides measurable shifts in spend (notably rapid addressable TV growth and retail media separation) that affect media planning, measurement and budget allocation across TV and digital channels.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Addressable TV ad spend in the UK grew 37% year‑on‑year in 2025.
- Addressable TV comprised 35% of total TV spend in the UK in 2025.
- Overall TV spend fell 1.2% year‑on‑year in 2025 and accounted for 11.2% of total ad spend.
- Total UK ad investment was £46.7 billion in 2025, up 6.4% YoY; Q4 2025 ad spend rose 8% YoY to £12.9 billion.
- AA and WARC revised channel definitions (separating retail media and reclassifying YouTube into social), and forecast UK ad spend to reach £49.8 billion in 2026 and £52.6 billion in 2027.
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UK TV Ad Market Set for Growth After Flat Q1
The Advertising Association and WARC reported that UK ad spend rose 9.3% year‑on‑year to £11.7 billion in Q1 2026, prompting upward revisions to 2026 and 2027 forecasts. While digital channels such as retail media, social media and search saw double‑digit or strong growth, linear TV remained broadly flat despite a 15.5% rise in addressable TV, with overall TV up only 0.8% in Q1. The forecast expects total UK ad investment to reach £50.5 billion in 2026 (+8.2%) and £53.5 billion in 2027 (+5.9%), with TV predicted to grow 3.7% in 2026 and 3.0% in 2027, partly anticipating uplift from the FIFA World Cup. Cinema and some published/other display sectors declined in Q1 but cinema is expected to recover later in the year.
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