MAM
Redseer report Digital ads power global economy at US$1tn
New analysis shows programmatic dominance, walled-garden control and AI-privacy shifts reshaping US$740-780bn market.
MUMBAI: Advertising is the oil that keeps the digital economy humming and right now it’s gushing at record speed. Global ad spend crossed the $1 trillion mark in 2025, with digital channels commanding a massive 70-75 per cent share worth US$740-780 billion, according to the latest Redseer Strategy Consultants report. That’s growing at 3-5x the pace of global real GDP, which expanded just ~3 per cent last year while ad spend surged ~9 per cent.
Consumers are glued to screens for a staggering ~6.5 hours a day across 30 plus apps and 2 plus devices on average, yet attention is splintering faster than ever. Mobile now accounts for 65-70 per cent of all digital ad dollars, with in-app formats leading the charge. The United States still dominates with ~46 per cent of global digital spend (~$340 billion), followed by China at ~24 per cent (~$180 billion). India, though smaller at ~1 per cent (~$11 billion), is growing at a brisk 10-15 per cent CAGR.
At the heart of this boom sits programmatic advertising, now the default infrastructure for digital. It gobbles up 80-85 per cent of the $740-780 billion pie and is on track to hit 85-90 per cent by 2030. Publishers keep 45-55 per cent of advertiser dollars, while the rest flows to DSPs, SSPs, exchanges and agencies. But power is concentrating fast: walled gardens such as Google, Meta and Amazon are expected to capture 70-80 per cent of programmatic spend thanks to first-party data and closed ecosystems. The open web, despite eating up 55-60 per cent of internet time, gets just 20-30 per cent.
The report warns that the next era will be defined by three forces, privacy-driven targeting, AI-native campaign execution, and a widening gap between fast adopters and laggards. Winners will embed AI across the stack, build strong first-party data flywheels and reduce reliance on walled gardens. Publishers must own their audiences, diversify beyond display and crank up content velocity with AI. Brands need robust first-party data and AI-generated creative at scale. Ad platforms that deliver cleaner supply paths, fraud-resistant systems and transparent measurement will thrive.
Redseer’s analysis paints a clear picture: reach is now a commodity, but precision and relevance remain the real moat. As AI rewrites the rules and privacy reshapes the pipes, the oil that powers the digital economy is flowing stronger but only those who adapt will keep their engines running smoothly.
