Majority of brands expect TV and streaming ad budgets to grow

iSpot, a cross-platform TV and video advertising measurement company, released findings from its annual survey ahead of the 2025 TV ad buying upfronts. The survey collected responses from marketers across industries, focusing on trends in budgeting, measurement, and media buying strategies.

According to the report, 86 percent of brands and agencies expect their TV and streaming budgets to either increase or remain stable compared to previous years. More than half, or 51 percent, anticipate a budget increase. Only 14 percent foresee a decrease, though shifting economic factors could influence that outlook.

The survey showed that demand-side platforms, or DSPs, are the most popular method for ad buying, cited by 62 percent of respondents. Publisher-direct deals followed at 58 percent, and social platforms at 51 percent. These figures suggest that while advertisers aim to centralize their buying processes, direct relationships with publishers remain significant.

In terms of measurement priorities, 53 percent of respondents identified outcomes as the most critical factor in media buying decisions. Value was ranked second at 27 percent, and verified ad delivery at 11 percent. Program ratings accounted for only 9 percent, reflecting a continuing shift away from traditional programming metrics.

“Measurement-focused marketers are signaling that they are confident in the power of TV and streaming,” said Stu Schwartzapfel, executive vice president of media at iSpot. “As investments in TV and streaming grow, the demand for real-time, transparent measurement has never been greater and the results of our Upfronts survey show that for over half of marketers, outcomes are the most critical factor in media buys.”

The survey also highlighted challenges in streaming data availability. Eighty percent of respondents reported that streaming partners provide reach and frequency data, while 61 percent received demographic information. However, less than half reported receiving linear and streaming overlap data (41 percent), programming data (44 percent), and attribution performance data (48 percent).

Emerging advertising capabilities were also addressed. Thirty-eight percent of marketers said they plan to test data-enriched advertising this year. This figure slightly exceeded interest in testing AI-driven creatives (35 percent) and shoppable ads (34 percent). Retail media data, however, attracted less immediate testing interest, with only 21 percent planning to pursue it in 2025.

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