In this week’s Week in Charts, Matt Brittin on Sky’s ITV acquisition, clients say billing models undervalue agency work, and European digital ad market remains “top-heavy”.
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European Digital Ad Market “Remains Top-Heavy” Says IAB Europe
The European digital ad market grew by 10.5 percent to reach €131.1 billion last year, according to IAB Europe’s AdEx Benchmark 2025 Report, with growth recorded in all 30 of the markets covered by the study. However, the research also noted that the market “remains top-heavy”, with the UK, Germany and France making up 62 percent of the total European digital ad market.
ITV and Sky to Take 40 Percent of UK VOD Ad Spend
ITV and Sky combined will take almost 40 percent of total video-on-demand spend in the UK, according to forecasts from WARC and Omdia, just six percent shy of the total share taken by the ad-supported SVOD services, such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+. “With broadcasters facing stiff competition from global players like Netflix and Amazon – not to mention YouTube – for a share of tomorrow’s TV ad market, a merged Sky and ITV may stand a better chance of survival,” said Alex Brownsell, Head of Content at WARC Media.
Poland Scores Highest Video Viewability Rate While Japan Falls Below Global Average
Video viewability reached 79.7 percent globally in 2025, according to IAS’ ‘Media Quality Report 2026’, outperforming display at 67.9 percent. The research found that this held across every major region, though there was variation among markets when it comes to video viewability rates, with Japan falling considerably below the global average at 63.21 percent.
Fifty-Seven Percent of UK Adults Watch Short-Form Videos At Least Once a Day
More than half of UK adults (57 percent) watch short-form videos at least once a day, according to research from YouGov, with 39 percent watching short videos (under 10 minutes) multiple times a day, and 18 percent watching them once a day. Meanwhile long-form video is consumed less frequently, with 37 percent watching videos lasting 10 minutes or more at least once a day.
The Week in Stocks
Agencies
WPP stock jumped 8 percent last week, but has declined by more than 30 percent over the past year.
TV
Shares in ITV slipped last week as analysts digest the UK broadcaster’s proposed acquisition by Sky, with concerns circulating around separation costs, ongoing expenses and regulatory delays.
Publishers
Ströer is the only publisher stock on our list to not see gains last week, as investors await the German advertising company’s half-year financial results next month.
Ad Tech
Teads stock fell by 10 percent last week, but the ad tech firm’s share price has climbed more than 20 percent over the last six months.
Tech
In an otherwise strong week for tech stocks, Google’s share price is struggling due to a combination of high-profile talent departures in the AI sector, legal and regulatory headwinds, and the tech giant’s latest capital-raising campaign.
