Verified Confidence: medium
Primary source found; it says the same thing, the scope matches, and it is reasonably current.
Safe rephrasing
IAB projects US digital video ad spend, including CTV, social and online video, at $81.9 billion in 2026, up 11% (July 2026 projection).
What the source says
Digital video (incl. CTV, social video, and online video) is projected to grow 11% in 2026 ... *DIGITAL VIDEO INCLUDES CTV, SOCIAL VIDEO, AND ONLINE VIDEO $81.9
IAB — 2026 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Report (July 2026)
- Commonly cited as
- "Video ad spend will hit $82 billion"
- True origin
- IAB — 2026 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Report (July 2026)
- Type
- Stat check: A widely repeated statistic traced back to its origin.
- Year
- 2026
- Data as of
- 2026 estimate, published July 2026
- Last checked
- Method & sample
- IAB buyer survey (n=360) plus Guideline estimates of total digital video ad spend.
- Drift between quote and source
- Projection, not actual spend
- Different measure from IAB/PwC's $78.0B 2025 digital video revenue figure
- Interest
- IAB is the digital advertising industry's trade association; PwC prepares the revenue report.