Programmatic Ad Spending Shifts to CTV and Audio as AI Optimization Becomes Standard
Event summary
- 58% of media buyers expect programmatic investment to increase in 2026, with CTV and audio driving growth.
- CTV expected to capture 26% of media budgets on average, with 45% of marketers moving budgets from linear TV.
- 82% of marketers say AI-powered optimization is essential, with top applications in audience targeting and campaign pacing.
- 43% of respondents plan to increase use of contextual targeting in 2026, with 50% relying on it in privacy-regulated verticals.
The big picture
The programmatic advertising market is maturing, with buyers prioritizing intentional spend, transparency, and measurable outcomes over scale. The shift toward CTV and audio reflects broader industry trends in digital transformation and the increasing importance of AI-driven optimization. As privacy regulations tighten, contextual targeting and first-party data strategies are becoming critical for marketers navigating regulated verticals.
What we're watching
- CTV Growth
- How the shift from linear TV to CTV will impact programmatic ad spending and platform competition.
- AI Integration
- Whether hybrid AI-human models can sustain the pace of optimization demanded by marketers.
- Privacy Compliance
- The extent to which contextual and first-party data strategies will dominate in privacy-regulated markets.
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