• by Wayne Friedman , March 6, 2025

Core, non-political U.S. local advertising is estimated to grow 6.1% in 2025 to $171 billion from a year ago, according to BIA Advisory Services.

Total local digital media will land at $89.6 billion, with traditional media at $81.3 billion. Digital media will have a 52.4% share, with traditional media at 47.6%.

In 2024, when including the heavy political-activity spend, total spend was $172.2 billion. BIA estimated 2023 revenues -- also including political ads -- to be $155.4 billion.

These results include all TV, radio, local streaming, digital platforms (PC, email and mobile), TV, digital, radio, digital, and print (magazines and newspapers).

Focusing just on local TV -- when looking at all ad spend (political and core advertising) -- BIA projects TV stations will get to $18.1 billion, down 20% from last year ($22.6 billion), which includes local TV-owned digital platforms.

Local connected TV (CTV) will sink 18% ($629 million) to $2.9 billion. Radio will slip 4.9% (634.1 million) to $12.4 billion.

Total electronic media political advertising on all local TV/CTV/radio is estimated to have amounted to around $5.2 billion to $5.3 billion in 2024, according to other third-party estimates.

One key area of slow growth for local TV stations continues to be their digitally owned local platforms -- many of which compete directly with digital-first companies especially social media and/or search media companies like Meta, Snap, TikTok, and Google.

BIA is projecting that these local TV digital businesses will slip 9% to $2.1 billion, from $2.3 billion in 2024.

This story has been updated.