The U.S. ad market expanded for its third consecutive
month in October, rising 5.7% over October 2024, according to the just-updated U.S. Ad Market Tracker from Guideline.
October's growth, coming on the heels of 9.0% increase in September,
follows a deceleration in July and August, and suggests U.S. ad spending will end the year on a strong note.
In fact, an earlier Guideline analysis shows that U.S. ad spending during the recent
federal government shutdown (Oct. 1 - Nov. 12) expanded half again as much as it did during the previous three quarters of 2025. That analysis suggests ad spending momentum will continue through the
end of the year, but that lag effects in some shutdown related categories -- travel and pharma, in particular -- could impact U.S. ad spending growth in early 2026.
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The deceleration of ad
spending during July and August also compares with tougher comps last year that included incremental spending related to the 2024 Summer Olympic games.