UK Advertising Trends 2026: Where Investment Is Growing
September 29th 2026
UK advertising investment is forecast to hit £50.5bn in 2026, up 8.2% year on year. But where is that investment going—and what could it mean for your next campaign?
Some of the most striking growth is happening in familiar places. Outdoor has recorded its strongest Q2 yet, while addressable TV and online radio are attracting more investment.
Here are the figures worth a closer look, what each one measures, and what they could mean for your media plan.
Source for the UK market forecast: Advertising Association/WARC, 2026 forecast.
Here are the UK media figures that caught our eye.
Out of Home advertising: a record Q2
UK Out of Home (OOH) advertising revenue reached £402.6m in Q2 2026, its highest Q2 on record.
- OOH overall: +12.7% year on year
- Digital OOH: +14.6% year on year
- Classic OOH: +8.8% year on year
Digital formats accounted for 68% of Q2 OOH revenue. Across the first half of 2026, OOH grew 13.7%, with digital OOH up 15.9%.
Outdoor advertising combines a visible presence in public spaces with increasingly flexible digital options.
Source: Outsmart/PwC, Q2 and first-half 2026 OOH figures.
TV and connected TV: more ways to reach viewers
Investment in addressable TV grew 15.5% year on year in Q1 2026. It’s one example of how TV advertising is developing more targeted options alongside its screen-led impact.
This figure is for addressable TV specifically; it does not describe growth across all connected TV (CTV) or all TV advertising.
Source: Advertising Association/WARC Expenditure Report, Q1 2026.
Radio and digital audio: reach meets targeting
Around 51 million people listen to UK radio each week. RAJAR’s Q2 2026 release reports that 87% of the UK population tunes in weekly.
At the same time, investment in online radio grew 22.1% year on year in Q1 2026. The audience and investment figures measure different things, but together they show why radio and digital audio deserve consideration in a media plan: broad listening reach alongside more targeted digital opportunities.
Sources: RAJAR, Q2 2026 radio audience figures; Advertising Association/WARC Expenditure Report, Q1 2026.
Creator partnerships: a growing part of the plan
UK investment in creator partnerships is forecast to rise 26% in 2026, reaching £1.217bn and passing £1bn for the first time.
For brands considering influencer or creator marketing, this growth reinforces the value of planning partnerships around a clear audience, message and way to measure results.
Source: IAB UK, full-year 2026 creator partnership forecast.
What does this mean for your media budget?
Investment is growing across established channels and newer formats. These figures show where advertisers are spending more; the right allocation for any individual campaign still depends on its audience, objectives, and budget.
At The Media Angel, we plan and buy media across TV, connected TV, radio, digital audio, Out of Home, cinema, press and digital channels to find the right media mix for each campaign.
We’ll make sure you reach the Right people. Right place. Right time.