The Media Leader Podcast
Digital assets have been the main growth drivers for most media owners for several years. This is as true of TV – ITV just announced it saw 10% growth in digital revenues compared to flat overall revenue growth – as it is in publishing, as seen in the latest consumer ABC figures, as it is in OOH, as it is in, of course, social media and search.
So it was little surprise that, according to IAB UK’s latest Digital Adspend Report, in 2025 the UK’s digital ad market grew by 10% to £40.5bn. It’s a staggering number, especially when you consider that AA/Warc estimated the total UK ad market reached £46.9bn pounds last year.
Ad spend on social media grew 21% year-on-year to £11.5bn, even as industry leaders at both agencies and competing media owners made the case to “turn down the toxic” by divesting from social and reinvesting in more trusted media channels.
Elizabeth Lane is the head of insight at IAB UK. She sat down with host Jack Benjamin to unpack the Digital Adspend Report and explain why video, in particular, was a driving force behind digital growth last year.
The duo also discussed how AI is changing search to the detriment of publishers, what to watch out for in retail media, and why gaming and digital OOH also saw double-digit growth in 2025.
Listen now by hitting the play button or use the appropriate entry point into Spotify, Apple or Google Podcasts:
Highlights
1:21: Toplines from IAB UK’s 2025 Digital Adspend Report
3:41: Social’s pivot to video helps explain its 20% growth rate
13:39: Search, retail media and gaming: disruption and missed opportunities
24:06: How AI could change digital investment
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