While the latest digital ad spend report from IAB Ireland shows that companies like Meta and Google continue to maintain a stranglehold on the digital advertising market, there are still opportunities for local media owners, writes Colm Sherwin.
Two weeks ago, the annual IAB Ireland Ad Spend report was published, offering fresh insights into the evolution of Ireland’s digital advertising landscape. One of the standout findings was that the market in 2024 has exceeded the €1 billion milestone for the first time, marking an 11% increase compared to 2023. Digital now commands a dominant 65.5% share of total advertising spend in Ireland, with Google and Facebook continuing to represent a significant portion of that figure.
The report highlighted robust growth across key segments: social media advertising surged by 16% to €515 million, while search advertising saw a more modest 6% increase, reaching €331 million. Display advertising—covering formats such as banners, rich media, and video—grew by 13%. However, a closer look reveals that this growth was largely driven by the strong performance of social video.
This leads to a critical question for the industry: what does this mean for local publishers and broadcasters? Globally, traditional media outlets have faced mounting pressure from the dominance of tech giants, and Ireland is no exception. Yet, amid this competitive environment, could there be glimmers of opportunity, particularly when it comes to how Irish agencies and brands can continue to work and collaborate with local Irish media partners.
Video Surges
From the IAB Ad Spend report, a number of things are clear. First off online video, premium, user generated and even AI produced content will continue to grow
These developments are unlikely to surprise advertisers. While the decline of linear TV has slowed, and in some cases, even reversed, the growth of online video channels continues to significantly outpace it, particularly among younger audiences.
In the past year, linear TV viewership among all adults saw a modest 1% increase. In contrast, online video consumption surged by 15% over the same period. This shift is mirrored in advertising investment trends, with non-social video ad spend rising by 25%, according to the latest IAB report.
The takeaway is clear: as total video consumption rises, the momentum behind online video advertising shows no sign of slowing. We anticipate that online video ad spend will increase by more than 20% this year, varying slightly by platform.
Digital Audio’s Success
Secondly, digital audio is an under-utilised channel for advertisers. As we highlighted in our annual Outlook report, the industry continues to under-invest in Digital Audio. According to the latest IAB figures, the category grew by 8% last year, reaching €19 million. In contrast, traditional radio advertising remains significantly larger, with the 2025 market valued at €257 million.
The recent IAB Audio report addressed several common misconceptions that have hindered investment in the digital audio space. One notable insight relates to audience demographics: while digital audio does lean towards a younger audience, it still delivers strong reach across older age groups—engaging 67% of 55-64-year-olds and 58% of adults aged 65+.
The takeaway is straightforward: digital audio presents a growing, underutilised opportunity. Advertisers should align their media strategies with actual audience behaviour and consider investing more intentionally in this dynamic and scalable channel.
The third key observation from the IAB Ireland report is that high impact, high attention formats for display are once again underutilised
The report noted a 2% decline in display advertising (commonly referred to as banners), which dropped to €79 million in 2024. In contrast, premium formats such as takeovers and tenancies saw robust growth, increasing by 18% to €11 million.
This shift is largely driven by a growing emphasis on attention among agencies and advertisers. High-impact formats, such as fixed placements, homepage takeovers, native content, and strategic partnerships, are increasingly valued for their ability to deliver strong attention metrics within brand-safe environments.
The display landscape has faced significant disruption over the years, first from the migration of audiences from desktop and tablet to mobile, and then from ongoing challenges related to brand safety, viewability, and ad fraud. However, with proper management, these issues can be effectively mitigated.
The real opportunity lies in execution. By curating a focused list of trusted sites and prioritising high-attention, high-viewability formats, both local publishers and advertisers can benefit.
Many publishers are also leveraging first-party data to enhance targeting and elevate the performance of these premium formats. While standard display has seen a gradual decline, choosing the right formats and placements can reinvigorate its effectiveness and drive meaningful results for campaigns.
The annual IAB ad spend report consistently offers valuable insight into how advertisers are allocating their budgets. Given their scale, much of the attention tends to focus on the major tech platforms, which not only dominate digital advertising but have come to lead overall ad spend, both in Ireland and globally.
However, this dominance shouldn’t be seen as a signal for local players to step back. On the contrary, recent examples, such as the standout collaborations showcased at the Media Awards between publishers, brands, and agencies, demonstrate the strength and potential of homegrown innovation. Many of these partnerships align with the growth areas identified in the IAB report.
From my perspective, there are still plenty of untapped opportunities, several of which I have already outlined. Now it’s time we put greater focus and energy into exploring them.
Colm Sherwin is Chief Digital and Investment Officer with Core
