• by Joe Mandese , February 28, 2026

The U.S. ad economy entered 2026 on a tepid note, expanding less than a point over January 2025, according to Guideline's just-refreshed U.S. Ad Market Tracker.

January marks the second month of deceleration for the U.S. ad economy, which ended 2025 up 1.9% -- the worst monthly expansion in 2025 except for two year-over-year Olympic comps in July and August.