According to iSpot’s annual Video Ad Spend and Strategy Report–which surveys marketers in the industry–the 2026 Upfronts will be defined by stable marketing budgets but a clear acceleration toward digital platforms, outcome-based measurement and a deeper look at how AI will fundamentally reshape the media market.
Here are some other key takeaways from the iSpot survey:
- Budget Conscious: Nearly three-quarters of marketers (73%) expect their 2026 marketing budgets to stay the same or increase. On average, Upfront buying still accounts for over 37% of the TV budget.
- Mass Migration to Digital: Half (50%) of marketers anticipate spending increases in Social Video and Streaming/National CTV. Social platforms have achieved parity with traditional TV as a popular buying method. Adoption of ad buying through Smart TV OEMs has sharply increased from 25% to 55%.
- Outcomes as a New Currency: Over 45% of marketers identify business outcomes as the most critical factor for buying media. Despite this focus, 47% cite measuring these outcomes as a “significant challenge.”
- It’s a Matter of Trust for AI: While 80% of marketers use AI in their video strategy, 45% worry about the reliability of the outputs. The consensus is strong, with over 68% agreeing that independent, third-party measurement is essential to optimize media buying.
iSpot: Marketers Note Steady Budgets Yet Significant Shifts to Social and Streaming Amid Upfronts
According to new survey, measurement-focused marketers anticipate more reliance on outcome-based measurement as it becomes industry’s ‘North Star’
BELLEVUE, WA – May 11, 2026 – iSpot, the cross-platform TV and video ad measurement company, released today the results of its annual market research survey amid this year’s TV ad buying upfronts.
The 2026 survey, which leverages key executive takeaways from agencies and brands, reveals a media ecosystem focused on actionable outcomes, embracing new buying channels and navigating budget expectations.
Overall, nearly three-quarters of marketers (73%) anticipate their 2026 marketing budgets will either stay the same or increase compared to previous years. While 41.5% expect their budgets to remain unchanged, 31.5% anticipate a budget increase. On average, marketers are expected to allocate over 37% of their 2026 TV Budget to Upfront buying, with 38.0% of marketers expecting Upfronts to account for at least half of their budgets.
Marketers are also planning for significant investment shifts toward digital platforms. Case in point: Half (50%) of marketers said they anticipate spending increases in Social Video and Streaming/National CTV. Notably, Social platforms (such as YouTube) have risen to become the most popular ad-buying method, gaining parity with traditional TV. This cross-platform integration has become evident as 39% of marketers now place more than half of their TV/streaming creative on social media.
iSpot’s annual survey found that in 2026 business outcomes have emerged as one of the most critical inputs toward justifying and even exceeding ROI. Over 45% of marketers identified outcomes as the most critical factor in buying and negotiating media in 2026. Despite its emergence as a must-have proof point, 47% of marketers cite measuring outcomes as their a “significant challenge” for linear and streaming measurement this year.
“This year’s survey results confirm that while every platform is racing to prove value within its own environment, marketers are realizing that optimizing in a vacuum isn’t enough, “ said Julie Van Ullen, President & CRO, iSpot. “To truly justify and optimize spend, brands need a holistic source of truth that provides deduplicated insights across every screen and service. While individual publishers can show outcomes within their own walls, the ability to see the total, unified impact of an investment is what allows advertisers to move beyond fragmented data and invest with absolute confidence.”
Other key takeaways from iSpot’s 2026 TV and Video Ad Strategy Report:
- Independent measurement is critical to the health of the industry. Over 68% of respondents agreed that independent, third-party measurement is essential to objectively optimize media buying.
- SmartTV OEM ad operations come of age. Ad buying through Smart TV OEMs has seen substantial growth, jumping from 25% in 2025 to 55% in 2026 according to respondents.
- AI is heavily leveraged, but trust deltas exist. While 80% of marketers are already using AI as part of their video strategy, 45% of marketers said they are worried about the reliability of AI-generated marketing outputs.
For more results from this year’s market research survey ahead of upfronts, download iSpot’s 2026 report here.