2021 Australian TV ad revenue up 20% to A$4.1 billion

The total Australian TV advertising market – including metropolitan free-to-air, regional free-to-air, subscription TV and Broadcaster Video on Demand (BVOD) and excluding public TV network SBS – recorded combined revenue of A$4.1 billion for the year to December 2021, up 19.9% compared to the previous corresponding period, with BVOD growth surging an impressive 68%, according to industry advocacy group ThinkTV.

Why it matters

Where once it was considered a smaller sibling of linear TV, BVOD is now powering ahead with exponentially increasing audiences and revenue that enable the two platforms to combine and form a strong Total TV package.

Key insights

• In the six months to December 2021, TV ad revenue rose 14.4% to A$2.2 billion compared to the same period in 2020.
• The total revenue for the metropolitan free-to-air networks was A$1.5 billion in H2 2021, up 13% from H2 2020.
• For the full year, metropolitan free-to-air advertising revenue was A$2.8 billion, up 18.5% from 2020.
• Investment in BVOD platforms 7plus, 9Now, 10 Play, Foxtel Go, Foxtel Now and Kayo continues to accelerate.
• BVOD revenue was up 63.4% to A$218m in H2 2021 and up 67.8% to A$363m for the full financial year.

Key quote

“TV is part of the fabric of our lives and these results show how important Total TV is to advertisers looking to connect with Aussies every day. The impressive growth in the past 12 months is evidence that advertisers looking to build and grow their brands understand Total TV needs to be the cornerstone of their media plans.” – Kim Portrate, CEO, ThinkTV.