National Ad Market Fell 10.8% in March, First Month to Begin Feeling Effects of Pandemic

March, the first month to begin feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the advertising economy, saw the national U.S. ad marketplace decline 10.8% from March 2019, according to results of the U.S. Ad Market Tracker, a collaboration of MediaPost and Standard Media Index.

According to MediaPost, the decline “was less severe among the biggest ad categories, as the top 10 fell 9.6% from March 2019, while categories 11+ fell 14.1%.

“Similarly, the national TV ad marketplace (-15.9%) was impacted more severely than digital ad volume, which fell only 2.8%, year-over-year.”