In welcome news for TV and advertising as a whole, recently released figures from UK industry body, Thinkbox, showed a growth in annual TV advertising spend. 2024 saw investment in TV advertising reach a colossal £5.27 billion, up 3.8% on the previous year.
These latest TV advertising spend figures prove that linear TV is still very much a media powerhouse. The vast majority of 2024 TV ad spend (£5.04 bn) went to broadcasters. The remaining £235 million was invested in other TV services, such as subscription video-on-demand (SVOD), ad supported VOD and free, ad supported TV platforms. Notably, this is the first time Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus and Netflix have been included in the reporting. The addition of these being responsible for much of the 146% growth in the non-linear sector.
Lindsey Clay, Thinkbox CEO, said: “Commercial TV is transforming and growing, with more opportunities than ever for businesses to advertise in its high-quality, high-attention, highly effective environments. This growth is being fuelled by innovation across the TV companies, offering data-driven solutions together with culture-shaping content and a creative canvas that is unmatched anywhere in media.”
“2024 was a tough year for businesses, and 2025 is looking even more uncertain. Brands need safe havens at a time like this, places they can rely on to deliver, defend their price premiums and help them be as resilient as possible. TV is proven to be the safest place a brand can be,” she added.
TV advertising – spend on a trusted medium in uncertain times.
Of course, none of this is a surprise to us. We are passionate supporters of TV and see the impact it makes for our clients every day. Whilst business may be feeling the impact of the prevailing economic winds and we’re all conscious of more uncertain times ahead, we do know that advertisers who defend their advertising budgets are rewarded long-term.
TV in particular offers advertisers a safe and trusted medium. Brands who maintain their TV advertising spend put themselves in a robust position. A strong TV campaign enables brands to cut through the noisy messages of other media. TV allows brands to easily and effectively communicate with their customers, something that will always be essential to any media strategy, no matter how markets are behaving. Arguably, TV advertising has never been so important as it is today.
Learn more about AJ’s approach to TV advertising. To talk to someone about how TV advertising can make your business stand out from the crowd get in touch.