• by Wayne Friedman , June 12, 2012

Global television advertising sales will continue to climb in the next four years -- albeit at a slower pace than in recent years.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers’  new entertainment and media report says the market will grow at a 6.6% compounded rate, totaling $254.7 billion by 2016.

This would be a faster pace than the 3.1% hike seen in 2011, and the sharper 11.8% rise in 2010 coming out of the recession after 2009.

The report says television advertising in North America will reach just over $100 billion by 2016, from $80 billion at the end of 2012.

PwC says broadcast advertising will benefit from more channels becoming available to more people from expanded multichannel service, as well as the shift from analog to digital distribution.

The TV industry will also benefit from rising levels of viewing generated by growing high-def TV penetration, time-shifted services and over-the-top services boosting online viewing of television. All are driving online TV advertising.

Looking at other countries, PwC says Russia will continue to grow quickly, overtaking the U.K., Germany, Italy and France to become EMEA’s largest TV advertising market. Russia’s TV advertising spend climbed 20.2% last year.

The terrestrial TV advertising segment will grow globally at 5.2%, compounded annually to 2016, with multichannel advertising climbing 8.5%. Coming off of smaller revenue bases, online TV advertising will improve 19.8%, while mobile TV advertising will rise 30%.