Digital Duopoly to Remain Dominant in UK Ad Race

Google and Facebook will continue to dominate the digital advertising landscape in the UK for at least the next several years, according to eMarketer’s latest forecast. The two tech companies combined will reap more than half (54%) of all UK digital ad revenues this year, totaling £6.30 billion.

Google will remain the UK’s largest advertising destination: In 2017, the search giant’s total UK digital ad revenues will amount to £4.43 billion, 38.8% of overall UK digital ad spend this year, and rise to £5.10 billion by 2019.

Facebook is expected to reap £1.87 billion in digital ad revenues in the UK this year. Thanks to the success of Instagram as well as further investment in video, additional revenue growth is predicted through 2019. By that time, Facebook will take an 18.3% share of the UK’s digital ad market, amounting to £2.57 billion in revenues.

eMarketer predicts UK digital ad spending in total will reach £11.44 billion in 2017, up 11.0% from 2016. Mobile continues to drive growth in digital ad investment, with mobile outlays predicted to rise another 27.4% this year and be responsible for 36.6% of total UK digital ad spending. Within mobile, video will see the greatest growth, increasing 47.7%.

Traditional media ad spend remains relatively flat in the UK, with some declines suggesting that marketers have been dedicating larger sums to support digital activity.