Political campaigns are cutting broadcast television, global ad spending is accelerating toward a record year, and podcasting is emerging as one of the primary beneficiaries: findings that carry direct implications for audio, according to new research from PQ Media.
The US posted total ad and marketing investment of $757.56 billion in 2025, up 7% but slower than the 9.6% gain in 2024. Growth came from automobile purchases ahead of tariff-driven price increases, retail media, and ecommerce-focused SEO marketing. Digital and alternative media now command 55% of all worldwide media spending, up 12.5 points from 42.5% in 2020.
Traditional media, including AM/FM, grew just 1.2% to $850.67 billion in 2025 against an 11.4% gain for digital and alternative channels. Among the top 20 global markets, 12 now put more than half their budgets into digital and alternative channels.
In its Global Advertising & Marketing Spending Forecast 2026-2030, PQ Media projects a reversal of 2025’s deceleration, with 9.8% worldwide growth to roughly $2.1 trillion in 2026. Gains will be driven by the FIFA World Cup, Winter Olympics, and political elections across 40 countries. But the more telling story for broadcasters is where the money is moving and why.
Political campaigns are actively redirecting dollars away from broadcast television as ratings decline and younger audiences migrate to subscription streaming. Podcasting and influencer marketing are the named replacements, alongside direct mail, as campaigns seek formats that engage voters where they actually spend time. That shift puts audio, and particularly podcast inventory, in a stronger position heading into a cycle that PQ Media projects will intensify dramatically in 2028, when the US hosts the Summer Olympics alongside what the firm expects to be a another record-spending presidential campaign cycle.
Smart technology marketing, which includes AI-driven tools increasingly accessible to local small businesses, holds the most promise. PQ Media CEO Patrick Quinn commented, “As we’ve observed since 2018, STM will continue to be the fastest growing of the 47 digital & alternative media we track, up 30.5% in 2025, as AI becomes more user-friendly, particularly for local small businesses, and includes more sophisticated measurement tools for global brands.”
For radio operators building digital revenue streams and podcast networks, the expansion of AI-powered ad tools and measurement represents both a competitive challenge and an opening.
