Key stat: US financial media network ad spend will soar to $1.22 billion in 2026, nearly doubling from $640 million in 2025—a 66.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), per our May 2025 forecast.

Beyond the chart:

• The major jump in financial media ad spend demonstrates how important first-party data-driven ad solutions are to marketers.
• Retail media networks like Amazon and Walmart paved the way. Financial services are now following suit, creating financial media networks that monetize user engagement.
• While still smaller than retail media, financial media networks are among the fastest-growing digital ad channels.

Use this chart: Marketers can make the case for investing early in financial media networks and tracking emerging financial media networks, which may have more inventory at a lower price.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Financial Media Networks Forecast 2025 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Banking Trends to Watch in 2025 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Note: Examples of websites or apps primarily engaged in financial services include those of banks (e.g., Chase, Wells Fargo), fintechs (e.g., buy now, pay later services, insurtechs), and payment providers (e.g., Block, PayPal). Digital ad spending includes advertising that appears on desktop and laptop computers as well as mobile phones, tablets, and other internet-connected devices, and includes all the various formats of advertising on those platforms.

Methodology: Estimates are based on the analysis of various elements related to the ad spending market, including macro-level economic conditions, historical trends of the advertising market, historical trends of each medium in relation to other media, reported revenues from major ad publishers, estimates from other research firms, data from benchmark sources, consumer media consumption trends, consumer device usage trends, and EMARKETER interviews with executives at ad agencies, brands, media publishers, and other industry leaders.