New forecasts point to accelerating programmatic automation and advertiser access across audio in 2025 and beyond, as the $36 billion US programmatic market expands and major tech platforms position themselves as partners to traditional radio and its digital offerings.
Madison & Wall Principal Brian Wieser projects that total US programmatic revenues will represent 73% of all open web transactions in 2025. Wieser estimates digital audio, which continues to expand as automation and measurement systems improve across streaming and podcasting platforms, will capture $1.2 billion of that spend.
While audio remains a smaller segment of total programmatic spending, Madison & Wall’s US Programmatic Adoption forecast shows automation climbing from 22% in 2025 to 46% by 2030, a trend closely tied to rising ad-supported listening.
Looking ahead, Madison & Wall expects Q4 2025 ad revenue to grow 10% year-over-year, driven by continued digital momentum, while TV advertising is projected to fall 10% excluding political. Audio is expected to post 1% growth. Wieser’s 2026 outlook anticipates a temporary boost from the Winter Olympics in Milan, followed by a slowdown through 2027.
eMarketer data underscores that growth, projecting that 183.3 million of the 239.6 million total US digital audio listeners in 2026 will be accessible to advertisers. Much of that reach will come through podcasts, which can carry ads even within subscription tiers labeled “ad-free.” Ad-supported listening remains the core of the digital audio economy, creating fertile ground for automated, data-driven buying strategies.
That convergence of technology and audience scale is also reshaping how major tech players position themselves in the marketplace.
In November, iHeartMedia joined Cox Media Group, Spotify, and SiriusXM in selling audio inventory through Amazon DSP, expanding access to programmatic audio inventory within Amazon’s growing advertising ecosystem. On Local Marketing Trends, Borrell Associates’ Gordon Borrell and Corey Elliott spoke with Amazon DSP Director Meredith Goldman, who said the company aims to act as a partner to broadcasters.
Goldman explained that Amazon’s strategy in audio is designed to “offer the holistic landscape of audio” by integrating both its own properties, such as podcasts and Wondery, and external partnerships with major broadcasters. “It’s absolutely an opportunity to partner,” she said. “All of us share the same focus and challenge—how do we provide a good customer experience for listeners and help solve advertisers’ challenges in the audio space?”
She added that local radio broadcasters could work directly with Amazon to integrate DSP access, noting the company’s emphasis on geotargeting and small-business accessibility. “Especially for local advertisers, these types of partners are critical,” Goldman said. “Historically, local advertising was sold, not bought. Now, as there are more signals being offered and a much broader set of media channels to pursue, it’s really about how we provide advertisers that easy workflow to activate local dollars.”
