Global Ad spend set to surpass $1 trillion for the 1st time in 2026: dentsu report

TOKYO: The trillion-dollar threshold is here. Global advertising spend will breach $1 trillion for the first time in 2026, growing 5.1 per cent and comfortably outrunning the world economy’s projected 3.1 per cent crawl, according to dentsu’s latest forecasts.

Welcome to the algorithmic era, where every swipe, click, and scroll is mediated by invisible code that decides what you see, like, and ultimately buy. Brands that don’t crack the algorithm risk disappearing from consumer consciousness entirely.

“Crossing the trillion-dollar threshold signals a structural shift in how growth is created,” said Will Swayne, global practice president for media and integrated solutions at dentsu. “Media is now the front door to every brand and the most powerful system for driving relevance, creativity, and value at scale.”

The numbers tell a story of digital dominance and emerging market muscle. Digital advertising will claim 68.7 per cent of total spend, growing 6.7 per cent, with retail media charging ahead at 14.1 per cent growth. Programmatic will control more than four-fifths of digital investment as machines increasingly decide which ads reach which eyeballs.

Asia Pacific remains the growth engine. India is forecast to surge 8.6 per cent, powered by major sporting events and relentless digital expansion. China follows at 6.1 per cent, whilst the region overall grows 5.4 per cent. Brazil leads the Americas at 9.1 per cent growth, with the United States rising a steadier 5.0 per cent, boosted by the World Cup and midterm elections.

Traditional media shows surprising resilience. Television will grow 2.4 per cent, out-of-home 4.1 per cent, and cinema 2.2 per cent. Only print suffers, declining 3.0 per cent as readers continue their migration to screens.

But the real story is how audiences are fragmenting in unexpected directions. Forty per cent of global consumers watched a sports docuseries last month. Half of Gen Z watches Japanese anime weekly, with more American Gen Z identifying as anime fans than followers of major sports leagues. With 42 per cent of chief marketing officers planning to increase investment in original content and sponsorship, brands are hunting for attention in increasingly unconventional places.

Technology leads sector growth at 10.3 per cent, driven by AI product launches and connected ecosystems. Government, social, political, and organisations follow at 10.1 per cent, alongside beverages at the same rate.

The year ahead features the Olympic Winter Games, FIFA World Cup, and significant election cycles—traditional audience magnets. Yet these tentpole events now compete with algorithmic feeds that know your preferences better than you do.

Swayne’s message is clear: “In the algorithmic era, the brands that win will be the ones that understand how discovery and decision-making are shaped by algorithms and use media as a strategic engine to earn attention and build long-term advantage. 2026 rewards the marketers who innovate with intent, design for outcomes, and meet people in the moments that matter.”

Translation: master the algorithm or watch your competitors do it instead. At $1 trillion and counting, there’s never been more money chasing consumer attention—or more ways to waste it by fighting yesterday’s battles. The brands that crack the code will thrive. The rest will simply fade from view, one scroll at a time.