TV ad volumes drop again in January-July

Television ad spending dropped 7% from January to July 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, according to ad market tracker TAM AdEx. The decline is part of a larger trend shifting advertising spend towards digital channels. Linear TV ad revenue fell 10.3% in 2025 due to a 11.5% drop in ad volumes, as brands increased budgets for point-of-sale advertising and the ban on real money gaming hurt sports-related ads.

TV advertisers decreased by 3% from 2024 to 7,275 in 2025. Food and beverages led TV ad volumes at 23%, followed by services at 16% and personal care at 15%. The top 10 sectors accounted for nearly 90% of ad volume. Toiletries led the top 10 categories with a 6.3% share, followed by cleaners and ecom-media/social media at 3.8%. Biscuits entered the top 10 at seventh place with a 2.4% share.

While overall ad volumes fell, several categories saw significant growth, including ecomm/other services up 10.2 times, hairdressing up 3.8 times, fitness equipment up 2.9 times, noodles/pasta up 67%, and life insurance up 46%. FMCG companies dominated the advertiser rankings, with Reckitt Benckiser topping the list. General entertainment was the largest advertising genre at 30%, followed by news at 25% and movies at 23%.

The top five genres made up over 90% of TV ad volumes. Broadcasters cited macroeconomic concerns and regional volatility affecting advertisers' spending patterns for the weakened advertising environment.