A. Guttmann
Research Lead covering media
Programmatic advertising worldwide - statistics & facts
Programmatic advertising refers to the automated buying and selling of digital ad space. In contrast to manual advertising, which relies on human interaction and negotiation between publishers and marketers, programmatic ad buying harnesses technology to purchase digital display space. This use of software and algorithms helps streamline ad buying processes, which is why programmatic has become one of the most indispensable digital marketing tools worldwide. In 2024, global programmatic ad spend reached an estimated 595 billion U.S. dollars, with spending set to approach 800 billion by 2028. The United States remains the leading programmatic advertising market worldwide, but marketers from countries such as China or the United Kingdom also embrace the benefits of programmatic buying more vividly than ever.
Market leaders in the programmatic ecosystem
In today’s competitive advertising landscape, marketers use programmatic advertising and automation solutions to target audiences based on user data. According to the latest forecasts, the marketing automation software market is on track to reach 10 billion dollars by 2030, with revenues set to double compared to 2022. Hubspot, Oracle Marketing Cloud, and Welcome are among the leading marketing automation solution providers worldwide, accounting for a combined market share of nearly 50 percent. Other household brands that are particularly popular among advertising publishers include Amazon Transparent Ad Marketplace, Prebid, and Header Tag by Index Exchange, which were named the most used header-bidding technologies in 2024.Can digital ads get greener?
Until recently, when advertising professionals discussed campaign optimization, they meant minimizing spending and maximizing reach. However, as consumers become more and more environmentally aware, the advertising industry is also compelled to optimize its footprint. Market research shows that an average digital ad campaign releases 5.4 metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere. That is 35 percent more than an average human being in a year. Programmatic advertising emits 100 thousand tons of carbon per month in the United States only. Every thousand ad impressions generate more than 500 grams of carbon dioxide and equivalent greenhouse gases. However, sustainability is not on top of U.S. marketers’ minds. When asked about industry challenges in early 2023, only five percent of U.S. chief marketing officers (CMOs) named building more sustainable capabilities or offerings. To compare, in Europe, already every fifth company measures its digital advertising carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions.
