The IAB 2025 Outlook Study: September Update is a follow-up to the initial January 2025 release, providing an updated snapshot of projected ad spend, opportunities, and challenges for 2025. It provides revised market- and channel-level forecasts for 2025, plus insights into how buyers expect the imposed/proposed tariffs to affect ad spend.
These findings highlight shifting priorities and strategies, and are surfaced to help the ad industry prepare for 2H 2025, benchmark performance, and identify new opportunities in a fast-changing market.
Key takeaways include:
- 2025 U.S. ad spend forecast revised down from +7.3% to +5.7% amid macroeconomic pressures
- Nearly all buyers cite concern over tariffs, especially in auto, retail, and consumer electronics industries Top overall challenges for the rest of the year: macroeconomic headwinds and shifting consumer behavior
- In response, advertisers are prioritizing performance: customer acquisition and repeat purchases
- Key digital channels expected to post double-digit growth: social, retail media, and CTV, while traditional media will decline