Top Geos With The Biggest Programmatic Budgets And Potential

We all know - the programmatic market is rapidly growing worldwide. More and more new markets are getting involved in the ad tech niche. We in SmartHub are not going just to describe the tendencies in words but to reveal the specific numbers, and they will surprise you.

The ad tech market is booming. Over $778 billion — that’s the rate global programmatic advertising spending is supposed to reach by 2028. In 2023, this figure was around $546 billion. Advertisers across the globe are switching towards programmatic since it ensures more targeted and efficient ad placements, automates the process of buying and selling ad inventory, and streamlines omnichannel advertising.?

The US and Canada are the top participants in the programmatic market. In the year 2021, these countries accounted for more than 40% of programmatic ad investments globally. Asia takes second place, with its one-third share. At the same time, Europe is also switching to this type of media buying, and its ad market is forecasted to hit $100 billion in 2024. However, these are not the only players.

USA

The US is the leading country, and it keeps increasing its investments. In the year 2022, programmatic ad spending in the US was $198 billion, while the global expenditure accounted for over $492 billion. In 2026, the US is expected to invest over $291 billion. In terms of ad format, US businesses prioritize display advertising, and its spending is forecasted to exceed $178 billion in 2025.?

The US market is growing continuously due to several factors. First of all, by leveraging programmatic technology, businesses streamline their media buying processes. Secondly, the US has an advanced technology infrastructure along with high Internet penetration. The number of smartphone users in the US reached almost 312 million in 2023, meaning that brands can launch data-driven and precisely targeted advertising campaigns. Thirdly, social networks and online streaming platforms keep expanding, which implies even more advertising opportunities.

APAC (Asia-Pacific)

One of the key factors driving the global growth of programmatic advertising is its surging adoption in the APAC region, as well as South America. Expanding Internet and broadband infrastructure leads to an increase in time spent online by customers in these countries. Therefore, it becomes easier for businesses to collect insights about their audiences and then use them for highly targeted campaigns. The population size also plays a crucial role. For instance, the population of China, one of the largest countries in the APAC region, exceeded 1,411 million in 2022.?

The overall programmatic ad spending in Asia-Pacific accounted for $157 billion in 2021, and by 2026, this value is projected to reach $275.5 billion. China, Australia, and Japan are the most significant market players, and we can expect them to maintain this title in the future, as well as more widespread adoption of programmatic in that region.?

EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa)

Europe is slightly falling behind the US and the APAC region, but its programmatic advertising market is still promising as it is expected to reach $143 billion in 2029, with a CAGR of 7% (from 2024 to 2029). The COVID pandemic was among the factors accelerating this growth. At the same time, both advertisers and publishers are starting to use data more effectively, which has become one more driving force for the adoption of programmatic technology.?

In Europe, the UK is the market leader, as its spending was projected to reach almost $29 billion in 2022, while by 2026, this rate is expected to exceed $40 billion. After the UK, Germany takes the second place. In 2024, its programmatic advertising spending is forecasted to achieve more than $14 billion, with a steady increase over the coming years.?

The Middle East and Africa started implementing the programmatic approach not too long ago, but they are rapidly catching up with the businesses in other regions due to the rising digitalization and an increase in mobile penetration. Thus, incorporating the mobile-first approach, the MENA region (the Middle East and North Africa) programmatic ad spending is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of almost 8% between 2022 and 2027.??

LATAM (Latin America)

Thanks to the infrastructure development and the growing popularity of CTV devices, programmatic advertising in the LATAM region is evolving as well. Accounted for slightly above $5 billion in 2017, programmatic ad spending exceeded $8 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach almost $15 billion by 2026.?

Due to the already developed digital ecosystem and large population (over 200 million people), Brazil is the largest programmatic market in the LATAM area. Furthermore, it is forecasted to join the list of top programmatic video ad markets. Mexico, occupying the second programmatic place in the LATAM region, invested over $2.6 billion in advertising in 2021. By 2026, this rate is projected to exceed $4.8 billion. Currently, television remains an important advertising channel in Mexico, but the digital approach is steadily displacing it, and by 2028, around 76% of digital advertising revenue will be generated programmatically.

Based on the larger markets’ experience, smaller countries like Peru, Chile, and others are also expected to prioritize programmatic advertising in the coming years.

Final Words

The programmatic market is expanding continuously, and currently, North America (and especially the US) is a leader, followed by Asia and Europe, where the UK and Germany are the top geos. The Middle East, Africa, and the LATAM region are incrementally adopting programmatic advertising, so their investments tend to increase.

Due to expanding infrastructure, this progress is inevitable, and we can expect continuous growth in the global market. To accelerate it, businesses operating in the programmatic industry should attend relevant events and build partnerships to share experiences and the most effective practices on an international level.

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