Reports of the death of television appear to have been greatly exaggerated, as British television advertising revenues have risen for a fifth year in a row to £4.91 billion, with internet companies doubling their spending on small-screen commercials since 2010.
Online groups spent £400 million on advertising with broadcasters across traditional “linear” television channels and online video-on-demand services last year, compared with £200 million five years ago, according to Thinkbox, the trade body for commercial broadcasters.
Netflix, the streaming service, which has just released the third series of House of Cards, spent £8.5 million on TV advertising in Britain in 2014, three years after launching in the UK.
Other big spenders were Google, which more than doubled its spending in a year to £10.5 million, and Amazon, which also spent £10.5 million, according to Nielsen data cited by Thinkbox.
Ian Maude, of Enders Analysis, said: “With ITV, Channel 4 and Sky, you can reach pretty much the whole country in one time with a powerful advertising platform. With the internet, it’s a much more fragmented audience.”
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UK television advertising revenues, including sponsorship and product placement, rose by 6 per cent last year.