We prepared this data drop with the assistance of generative AI tools and stand behind its accuracy, quality, and originality.

US traditional TV spending continues to decline, but programmatic and addressable are making gains within that shrinking slice of the ad spending pie. We project that both programmatic and addressable TV will keep gaining share of linear TV ad spending as buyers prioritize more efficient, data-driven transactions. Even so, both segments will remain tied to the broader fortunes of linear television, with election cycles creating periodic boosts against a backdrop of long-term market decline.

Definitions

Linear programmatic TV: Typical buying and selling practices include the use of software to offer select programs and advertising packages to households; such software can identify high-indexing programs or time slots against advanced audience parameters; ad insertion is less commonly automated

Linear addressable TV: Targeted TV ads delivered on a home-by-home basis via cable and satellite boxes; includes ads in video-on-demand (VOD) and those delivered by dynamic ad insertion (DAI) technology from smart TVs connected to set-top boxes; excludes connected TVs (CTVs), internet-only connected smart TVs, and OTT

Programmatic is becoming an established method for buying traditional TV ads

We estimate that linear programmatic TV ad spending will reach $8.69 billion in 2026, up 6.2% YoY, thanks in part to a bump from ad spending on elections in even years. Programmatic’s share of linear TV ad spend has expanded rapidly over the past decade, climbing from less than 1% in 2016 to 17.2% this year. That share will approach 20% by 2028.

However, in absolute dollars, programmatic TV ad spending in 2028 won't quite reach 2026 levels thanks to the overall decline in traditional TV ad spending. (We expect TV ad spending to fall from $50.54 billion in 2026 to $35.52 billion in 2030.)

Click here to view our full forecast for US linear programmatic TV ad spending.