Warc said that linear TV advertising spending was $143.9bn this year, but with viewers increasingly switching to streaming platforms.

In 2013, linear television advertising was 41.3% of total global advertising spending, and there was a 27.5% decline in absolute terms in linear TV advertising spend between 2014 and 2024.

Warc said it estimated that spending on linear would fall further to 11.3% of total spending next year, with a value of around $139.1bn – the lowest since 2005.

However, spending on connected TV (CTV) is anticipated to rise, with 56% of marketers planning to boost budgets.

Warc said it expected that spend on CTV, which is set to reach $39.9bn this year ( 3.4% of total share), would grow 3.6% in 2026 to $44.7bn.

Alex Brownsell, head of content at Warc Media, said: “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 – 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.”