By contrast, national and local TV advertising growth declined in this year’s first quarter by about 2.8% and 2.3%, respectively, when excluding political spend. A pivot to invest in CTV or other entertainment options created “conditions of permanent secular decline” for the TV medium, assuming linear TV’s business model remains the same, Wieser wrote.

Outdoor advertising stood out in the report for its 6.1% category growth, which finally surpassed the category’s pre-pandemic growth rates and supports that marketers are prioritizing OOH advertising again.