Total TV advertising revenue in the UK increased by 3.5% in 2013 to reach a new record high of £4.63 billion, according to figures compiled by Thinkbox.
Collecting figures from the UK’s commercial TV broadcasters, the results represent all the money invested by advertisers in television, including linear spot and sponsorship, broadcaster video on-demand and product placement.
In 2013, there were 737 new or returning advertisers to TV (returning after no TV advertising for at least five years), accounting for 2% of total TV ad revenue, according to Nielsen data, while TV ad prices were the cheapest in real terms on record – almost 40% cheaper than two decades ago.
According to data from The Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board, the top three most viewed advertisers on TV last year were DFS, Currys PC World and Aldi.
The research also reveals that commercial impacts were up 1.6% on 2012 and have grown by 10.4% over the last five years, with the average viewer watching 47 ads a day – four ads more a day than five years ago.
Collectively, the UK watched an average of 2.8 billion ads a day in the first half of the year.
Commenting on the figures, Lindsey Clay, Thinkbox’s chief executive, said: “Businesses know that TV works. The strength of TV ad investment reflects commercial TV’s health and also acknowledges the mountain of evidence proving TV’s unrivalled ability to create business profit.”
TV ad investment is forecast to grow by 6% in 2014, according to the Advertising Association/Warc – boosted by the World Cup due to take place in Brazil in the summer.
