Advanced Television

Record UK TV ad revenue

March 7, 2014

gary-lineker-tvTotal TV advertising revenue in the UK increased by 3.5 per cent in 2013 to reach a new record high of £4.63 billion, according to full year revenue figures provided to Thinkbox – the marketing body for commercial TV in the UK – by the UK commercial TV broadcasters. This is the fourth consecutive year that TV ad revenue has grown in the UK.

The figures represent all the money invested by advertisers in commercial TV: linear spot and sponsorship, Broadcaster VoD, and product placement.

“Businesses know that TV works,” said Lindsey Clay, Thinkbox’s Chief Executive. “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.”

TV advertising investment is forecast to grow again in 2014, boosted by the World Cup in Brazil. The Advertising Association/Warc predicts TV ad revenue to grow by 6 per cent in 2014.

There were 737 new or returning advertisers to TV in 2013 (returning after no TV advertising for at least five years). Notable new investors were Holiday Inn, Vitabiotics and Ricola. Together, new or returning advertisers accounted for 2 per cent of total TV ad revenues, according to Nielsen data.

TV advertising prices in 2013 were the cheapest in real terms on record, some 38.5 per cent cheaper than 20 years ago.

According to data from The Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board, the top three most viewed advertisers on TV in 2013 were DFS, Currys PC World and Aldi.

Commercial impacts (the number of TV ads watched at normal speed) during 2013 were up 1.6 per cent on 2012, and have grown by 10.4 per cent over the last five years. The average viewer watched 47 ads a day – this is four ads more a day than five years ago. Collectively, the UK watched an average of 2.8 billion ads a day in the first half of the year.

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