TV ad revenue reached a record high of £4.63bn in the UK during in 2013, a year-on-year increase of 3.5%, according to new research.
The study, from ThinkBox, said this figure includes all money invested by advertisers into commercial TV – across linear spot ads and sponsorships, broadcaster VOD and product placement – and marks the fourth consecutive year of growth for TV advertising in the UK.
“Businesses know that TV works. The strength of TV ad investment reflects commercial TV’s health and also acknowledges the mountain of evidence proving TV’s unrivalled ability to create business profit,” said Lindsey Clay, Thinkbox’s CEO.
Thinkbox, the marketing body for commercial television in the UK, said that there were 737 advertisers new to the space or returning after at least five years, with these new players accounting for 2% of total TV ad revenues.
It also said that last year TV advertising prices were the cheapest on record in real terms, some 38.5% cheaper than 20 years ago, while ad viewing was at a record high. The average viewer watched 47 ads a day –four ads more a day than five years ago, according to Thinkbox.
The organisation predicts TV ad investment to grow again this year, boosted by the World Cup in Brazil. The Advertising Association/Warc predicts TV ad revenue to grow by 6% in 2014.
Data provided by The Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board identified DFS, Currys PC World and Aldi as the most viewed advertisers on TV in 2013, benefitting from a 1.2 per cent year-on-year rise in the number of TV ads watched at normal speed.
TV vs. Internet and mobile ad spend
By comparison to TVs £4,63bn growth of 3.5%, UK mobile adspend surpassed £1bn in 2013, up 126% from spend in 2012, according to eMarketer’s forecast.
Advertisers in the UK are expected to spend even more on mobile next year, with eMarketer predicting ad spend on the channel to nearly double to £2.26bn.
Results from the IAB UK and PwC, along with strong performances from Google, Facebook and Twitter have led eMarketer to predict 15.8% growth in digital ad spending, with digital accounting for almost half of total media ad spend in the UK. In total mobile accounts for one fifth of spend, according to the report.
For the first half of 2013, UK digital advertising expenditure grew 17.5% to £3.041bn, according to the IAB.