Spain Digital Ad Spend Market Size & Forecast by Spend Value Across 100+ KPIs by Type of Advertising Channel, Format & Media, Platforms, Pricing Models, Industry, Digital Ecosystem, and Media Buying Method - Databook Q1 2026 Update

Key Trends & Drivers in Digital Advertising Sector

Retail Media Gains Traction as Spanish Retailers Monetize Digital Channels

• Retail media is gaining strategic significance as major Spanish retailers build or enhance their in-house advertising capabilities. El Corte Inglés has been expanding its retail media offerings by integrating ad placements across its ecommerce site and app, targeting both endemic and non-endemic brands. Similarly, Carrefour Spain and Dia have either launched or scaled their digital ad services, offering brands access to transactional data and closed-loop measurement.
• The ecommerce penetration in Spain, particularly in grocery and electronics, has accelerated due to convenience and mobile-first browsing behaviour. As retailers witness rising site traffic, the monetization of digital real estate has emerged as a new revenue stream.
• Over the next 2-4 years, retail media will intensify as an investment category, competing directly with social and display budgets. As platforms mature, advertisers will shift spend toward those that offer first-party data, conversion tracking, and integration with commerce journeys.

Connected TV (CTV) and Streaming Open New Avenues for Brand and Performance Budgets

• The shift from linear TV to streaming continues, with platforms like Atresplayer, Mitele, and Movistar Plus+ expanding their ad-supported content libraries. Global players like YouTube and Netflix are also aggressively courting Spanish advertisers through premium CTV inventory and audience targeting.
• Spanish households increasingly prefer on-demand viewing via smart TVs, with younger demographics moving away from traditional TV schedules. Additionally, broadcasters are packaging their content via hybrid subscription and ad-funded models, allowing more inventory to be sold programmatically.
• The next 2-4 years will see digital video advertising merge with TV budgets as advertisers seek integrated cross-screen measurement. CTV will become a default channel for brand campaigns, especially in FMCG, entertainment, and automotive sectors.

Privacy Regulations and Consent Management Reshape Targeting Approaches

• Regulatory changes, especially around the Digital Services Act (DSA) and cookie consent guidelines by Spain’s AEPD, are reshaping how advertisers collect and activate user data. Platforms and publishers are overhauling their consent management tools to ensure clear user choice, impacting retargeting and audience segmentation.
• Enforcement actions and rising consumer awareness are pushing brands and tech vendors to invest in privacy-first infrastructure. Agencies are also adjusting targeting strategies to comply with explicit consent requirements.
• In the coming years, contextual targeting, first-party data enrichment, and clean-room integrations will take precedence. Advertisers who adapt to these frameworks early will gain trust and operational continuity, while others may face performance degradation.

Programmatic Matures with a Shift Toward Premium and Transparent Supply Chains

• Programmatic buying continues to evolve in Spain, with increased focus on supply path optimization, viewability, and fraud mitigation. Premium publishers have formed alliances like Aunia (Vocento, Prisa, Godó) to offer bundled inventory in brand-safe environments, while agencies like GroupM and Dentsu are investing in curated marketplaces.
• Advertisers seek better ROI and brand protection, pushing for transparency in the ad supply chain. Regulatory pressure on media quality and ad disclosures has also played a role.
• Programmatic will shift from scale-driven to quality-driven procurement. Platforms and SSPs that can guarantee inventory integrity, while offering premium local content, will consolidate spend.

Influencer and Creator Ecosystems Professionalize, Attracting Structured Ad Budgets

• Influencer marketing has moved from fragmented one-off engagements to structured partnerships with measurement frameworks. Spanish creators on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are increasingly collaborating with fashion, travel, and lifestyle brands through managed marketplaces.
• The creator economy in Spain is maturing with talent agencies, legal structures, and analytics platforms supporting scalable brand-creator relationships. Brands are allocating fixed influencer budgets for seasonal campaigns and product launches.
• Influencer marketing will continue growing as a mid-funnel investment, especially for Gen Z and millennial segments. Transparency in contracts and performance metrics will be critical, and platforms that offer brand safety and direct access to vetted creators will be preferred.

Competitive Landscape: Digital Advertising Sector

Global Platforms Retain Dominance, but Local Players Drive Format-Specific Competition

• Google remains dominant across search and display, while YouTube captures a growing share of video budgets. Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) are core to SME marketing and increasingly used for commerce-linked campaigns.
• Amazon Ads has gained traction by offering sponsored listings and programmatic display options across its Spain site. The growth of marketplace ad solutions is notable in retail and CPG sectors.
• TikTok and Snapchat are rising players, especially among Gen Z, offering high engagement for short-form video campaigns.
• Local players such as Atresmedia and Mediaset España are strengthening their streaming platforms (Atresplayer, Mitele), monetizing inventory via direct and programmatic means.

New Entrants and Ad-Tech Expansion Redefine the Ecosystem

• Retailers such as El Corte Inglés and Carrefour Spain are building retail media networks to monetize onsite traffic and shopper data. These platforms are now offering self-serve ad tools to brands.
• Spanish publisher groups like Prisa, Vocento, and Unidad Editorial have invested in first-party data platforms and SSP integrations, creating more competitive, privacy-compliant ad environments.
• Ad-tech vendors including The Trade Desk, Adform, and Criteo have deepened their presence in Spain by enabling contextual targeting and supply path optimization.

Strategic Partnerships and Acquisitions Reflect Platform Maturity

• Havas Media and Adlook have formed partnerships to enable cookieless targeting across premium video formats.
• Broadcaster alliances like Aunia are pooling inventory to compete with walled gardens, offering scale and contextual safety to national advertisers.
• Agencies and telcos (e.g., Movistar Plus+) are launching co-branded media marketplaces with a focus on transparency, measurability, and native content integrations.

Regulatory Changes Impact Targeting, Consent, and Political Advertising

• Spain has updated its enforcement of the EU Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, requiring platforms to label political ads, disclose targeting logic, and offer opt-outs.
• The AEPD has issued more specific guidance around cookie usage, triggering publisher adjustments in consent UX and limiting non-consensual tracking.
• Restrictions on ad targeting for minors and sensitive categories have led to revisions in campaign structure and platform policies.

Forecast: Increasing Consolidation and Compliance-Driven Differentiation

Report Scope

Spain Ad Spend Market Size and Growth Dynamics

• Spend Value

Spain Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Advertising Channel

• Television Advertising
• Print Advertising
• Radio Advertising
• Outdoor Advertising
• Digital Advertising
• Other

Spain Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Television Advertising

• Linear TV Advertising
• Connected TV / OTT Video Advertising

Spain Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Radio Advertising

• Traditional Radio Advertising
• Digital Audio / Podcast Advertising

Spain Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Outdoor Advertising

• Traditional OOH Advertising
• Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising

Spain Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Digital Advertising

• Spend Value

Spain Digital Ad Spend Market by Segmentation

• Search Engine Sites
• Ecommerce Sites
• News & Media Sites
• Social Media
• Gaming Platforms
• Forums & Classifieds
• Others

Spain Digital Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Social Media

Spain Digital Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Gaming Platforms

• Around Games Environment Ad Spend
• In Game Environment Ad Spend
• In Game Immersive Ad Spend
• Exclusive Advertising Games Spend

Spain Digital Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Format & Media

• Video
• Display
• Email
• Influencer Marketing
• Blogging and Podcasting

Spain Digital Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Platform

• Mobile
• Desktop and Laptop

Spain Digital Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Pricing Model

• Cost Per Mile (CPM)
• Cost Per Click (CPC)
• Performance Based Advertising
• Others

Spain Digital Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Industry

• Technology
• Travel & Hospitality
• FMCG
• Automotive
• Media & Entertainment
• Telecommunications
• Retail & Consumer Goods
• Business and Financial Services
• Pharmaceutical and Healthcare
• Public Sector
• Construction and Real estate
• Education
• Home Appliances and Furniture
• Other Industries

Spain Digital Ad Spend Market by Digital Ecosystem

• Walled Gardens
• Open Web / Independent Publishers

Spain Digital Ad Spend Market by Media Buying Method

• Programmatic Advertising
• Direct Advertising

Reasons to Buy

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• Digital Infrastructure and Ecosystem Readiness: Assess the maturity of the enabling digital ecosystem, CTV/OTT expansion, and programmatic infrastructure, all of which shape the evolution of digital advertising models and automated buying practices.
• Data-Driven Forecasts and KPI Benchmarking: Access a comprehensive dataset of 100+ KPIs with historical and forecast data through 2029, offering visibility into channel evolution, digital acceleration, format-level momentum, and emerging opportunities in programmatic buying, retail media, gaming, and CTV/OTT.
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