• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, May 2, 2014

Many marketers now consider online video nearly on par with TV.

In fact, many believe original digital video will become as vital to their business as TV ads within three to five years, according to a new study from the Interactive Advertising Bureau. The finding is useful for brands and new media content producers heading into this year’s digital content NewFronts. But it’s also an important finding that underscores the growing acceptance of online video advertising.

Marketers are evenly split on how they’ll spend money to advertise their “most important product/service” this year– about 51% said TV and 49% said video, which compares to 58% favoring TV and 42% favoring video in 2012, according to the survey of nearly 300 advertising executives on the buy side of the business.

Nearly two-thirds of marketers plan to spend more money on digital video ads in 2014 than they did last year. But only 39% expect a rise in TV ad spending. In fact, marketers will be dipping into TV budgets more to boost online. About two-thirds said they’ll fund the shift to online by moving money from TV. Still, the overall pie may be growing, since nearly half said the bump in digital video spending will come from total growth in ad budgets.

Brands plan on divvying up their online video money in a number of ways. Advertisers expect to spend about 48% of digital video money on original digital programming, up 44% from 2013. About 75% said original digital programming is on pace to become as important as TV in three to five years.

To keep up this rate, marketers want data. In order for them to pry more money from their budgets, they want content producers to share digital metrics akin to TV, the IAB said.