Digital video ad spending in the U.S. is poised to jump 41.9%, reaching $5.96 billion, in 2014, according to a new forecast from eMarketer.
That’s a big leap forward, but it still leaves the growing category well behind TV ad spending, which expected to hit $68.54 billion this year, up 3.3%.
And expect that spending gap to remain as TV remains the best way to reach a mass audience. According to the research firm, the pie will continue to expand on both sides at different rates, with video ad spending growing to $12.71 billion by 2018, while TV ad spending rises to $78.64 billion.
While usage of digital devices will keep ad spend in that category growing at a healthy clip, it “by no means will carry enough momentum to overtake the TV market in the near future,” eMarketer noted in its study.
And despite digital video’s “astronomical” rise from a percentage standpoint this year, TV will still add more new dollars in 2014 -- $2.19 billion more than 2013, versus a $1.76 billion increase in digital video ad spending.
“The digital video audience is spread more thinly than a mass television audience, and that segmentation makes digital video ad buys more complex and less reliable than TV advertising,” said David Hallerman, principal analyst at eMarketer, in a statement. “Time spent with digital video is growing significantly, and it’s taking away some TV time, but given the diversity of placements and platforms, digital video viewers are more difficult for advertisers to target.”
