Update: Local digital advertising growing nearly twice as fast as previously forecast, states new report

In a major update to its tracking of local ad spending, Borrell Associates doubled its estimates for the growth of local digital ad spending in the U.S., and revised digital media's share of the market upward, reports Media Daily News.

"Local digital advertising is growing nearly twice as fast as previously forecast, fueled by a dramatic reshuffling of the nation's business landscape and surging demand for streaming video," the local media research analysts explained as the reason for upgrading local digital ad spending's 2026 growth to 8.6% from its previous projection of 4.5%.

For 2027, Borrell now projects local digital ad spending will rise 6.7% from 4.3% in its previous forecast.

"As a result, digital will claim 75% of local advertising by the end of next year, growing to 80% by 2030," the report concludes, adding that the digital growth is incremental and not necessarily cannibalizing on local traditional media ad spending.