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Global newsbrand ad spend down to $32.3bn this year as advertisers increasingly favour user generated content

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WARC
  • Globally, 51% of ad spend goes to professionally-produced content, down from 72% in 2019
  • On average, 3.7% of total UK TV ad spend is allocated to news programming
  • Tech, healthcare and direct-to-consumer drive news media spend in the US
  • India defies global trends with 6% YoY growth in newsbrand ad spend

WARC Global Advertising Trends: Advertising’s breaking news problem

15 April 2025 – The advertising industry has a breaking news problem. Today’s abundance of hard news stories – from trade wars to armed conflicts – draw audiences but not ad dollars to content publishers and broadcasters.

Globally, newsbrand ad spend is forecast to fall to $32.3bn this year, a 33.1% decrease from 2019, per WARC Media, and is forecast to remain flat through 2026. For magazine brands, spend is forecast at $3.7bn in 2025, a 38.6% slump since 2019.

Alongside content and safety concerns, brands are favouring global digital platforms like Google and Meta for targeted, scalable ads. Future growth hinges on first-party data, trusted environments, and revenue diversification beyond ads – such as subscriptions and direct consumer relationships.

WARC’s latest Global Ad Trends report examines the shift in advertising spend from professionally-produced content to user generated content (UGC) and ‘creator-journalists’ willing to operate within digital platform ecosystems. It explores how news publishers are tackling the decline in ad spend and how they plan to better demonstrate the role of professional journalism on advertising effectiveness.

Alex Brownsell, Head of Content, WARC Media, says: “Brands have become increasingly squeamish about hard news content. Keyword blocking hinders the ability of publishers to monetise newsworthy moments, while ad investment is increasingly shifting from professional journalism to ‘creator-journalists’.

“In this Global Ad Trends report we look at where the news media ad dollars are being allocated and what newsbrands are doing to combat these losses and win back advertisers.”

News media struggles as brands favour softer content

Ad spend on news content is falling across the board. Despite high audience interest, serious news stories are frequently demonetised due to keyword blocklists deployed by brands concerned by reputational risk. As brands avoid placing ads alongside content deemed controversial or distressing, they are favouring softer content like sport and lifestyle over “hard” news.

Only 3.7% (£177m) of total UK TV ad spend was allocated to news programming in 2024, per Nielsen. In the US, pharma brands have become increasingly integral for news broadcasters, accounting for 12% of national TV ad sales.

This evokes longstanding questions about the value of news as a content category, and whether brands should focus agnostically on targeting audiences.

User generated content set to overtake professional media in ad spend by 2026

The difficulties facing news media come at a time when advertisers increasingly favour user generated content (UGC) from influencers and creators, which offer low production costs, direct audience engagement, and alignment with platform algorithms.

Traditional media, which invests upfront in journalism and operates under stricter content standards and to tighter regulations, has struggled to compete. This shift is particularly damaging to the ad-funded news industry, which has long warned that shrinking investment in professional journalism risks a decline in civic literacy, and weaker defences against disinformation.

By next year, professionally produced content is forecast to account for less than half of content-driven ad spend, according to GroupM. Platforms like TikTok and podcasts are fuelling the rise of creator-journalists, as is the rise of AI-generated content which also accelerates this trend.

Kate Scott-Dawkins, Global President, Business Intelligence, GroupM, says: “As spend from the long tail of advertisers continues to outpace growth from the top 200, UGC is likely to dominate even more.”

Tech, healthcare and DTC brands drive digital spend shift in the US whilst India defies global trends as print media remains strong

Traditionally, the biggest business sectors advertising in US news media included automotive, retail, finance, and telecoms. With a broad reach and significant budgets, they relied heavily on print and local news to promote products and services at scale.

Over time, however, this mix has shifted. Automotive and retail spend moved toward digital and performance-based marketing. As news publishers adapt, they are increasingly targeting tech, healthcare and direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands and niche B2B advertisers seeking trusted environments.

Smartphones, social media, and personalised content have made digital news more convenient and appealing, especially for younger audiences.

Over the past decade, online news consumption has surged in the UK and US, widening the gap with offline formats. This year online consumption is forecast to command nearly half an hour more usage than offline in the UK, while the gap is estimated at 16 minutes in the US.

According to pollster Gallup, news media now ranks among the least trusted institutions in the US, with only 34% expressing confidence.

India’s news sector continues to buck the global trend, with print media maintaining a dominant position despite widespread digital disruption elsewhere. It has established itself as the largest market for print media globally – despite urban audiences increasingly shifting towards digital platforms – with year-on-year growth of 6% in newsbrand ad spend.

Newsbrands invest in tech, AI, and embrace multiplatform strategies to win back advertisers

Newsbrands have responded to the changing market by investing in technology, developing plans for AI, and building out multiplatform strategies to offer brands and agencies a cohesive proposition.

To further allay advertiser concerns around brand safety, publishers like Reach and News UK have developed in-house tech solutions to avoid inappropriate blocking. CNN has developed a neuro-linguistic AI tool that analyses context across text, audio, video, and galleries to assess brand suitability.

Media agencies are also evolving their approach. Some have introduced new measures like “quality CPM” (qCPM) in an effort to better reflect the effectiveness of campaigns placed against professionally-produced journalism.

A recent Future of News survey of EMEA executives by agency group Stagwell, found that 85% believe advertising on news media is a good investment.

Trusted news content is also a key factor in ad effectiveness, according to 2023 research by Newsworks and Peter Field: campaigns placed in trusted news environments saw significantly stronger business outcomes, including an 88% uplift in profit growth between 2018 and 2022.

Read a complimentary sample report of WARC’s Global Ad Trends – Advertising’s breaking news problem. WARC Media subscribers can read the report in full. A WARC podcast discussing the findings outlined in the report will be available from early May.

Global Ad Trends, part of WARC Media, is a quarterly report which draws on WARC’s dataset of advertising and media intelligence to take a holistic view on current industry developments.

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Liberia to Preview Next Oil & Gas Licensing Round Strategy at Houston Investor Day

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August 7, 2026

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The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority will host operators, investors and partners in Houston on August 19 to preview future licensing opportunities and showcase the exploration potential of its offshore basins

HOUSTON, United States of America, August 7, 2026/APO Group/ –The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) will present its strategy for the country’s next offshore licensing round at Liberia Investor Day Houston on August 19, bringing together international exploration companies, investors, service providers and energy leaders to discuss the next phase of Liberia’s upstream development.

Hosted in partnership with Energy Capital & Power, the event will provide a platform for the LPRA, led by Director General Hon. Marilyn T. Logan, to outline Liberia’s regulatory framework, investment priorities and plans to attract new participation across the country’s offshore sector. Discussions will focus on upcoming licensing opportunities, exploration prospects and the subsurface data supporting future investment decisions.

Liberia’s offshore sector is entering a new phase of exploration activity, with renewed international participation and a growing pipeline of opportunities. Following the award and ratification of eight Production Sharing Contracts in 2025, Liberia has re-established itself as a frontier exploration destination, with international operators advancing work programs designed to further evaluate the country’s petroleum potential. TotalEnergies is progressing exploration activities that include offshore geochemical surveys, 3D seismic acquisition and seabed mapping, while Oranto Petroleum has also signed contracts to explore Liberia’s offshore.

At the Liberia Investor Day Houston, the LPRA will provide industry stakeholders with insight into the priorities shaping the next licensing round, including the anticipated process, qualification requirements, available acreage and access to technical data. The engagement will give prospective investors a clearer view of Liberia’s exploration landscape and the opportunities emerging across its offshore basins.

The event will also facilitate direct dialogue between LPRA and the global upstream community, connecting companies with policymakers and industry stakeholders involved in shaping Liberia’s next chapter of petroleum development.

As exploration companies continue to seek new frontier opportunities, Liberia Investor Day Houston will highlight the role of regulatory certainty, data availability and strategic partnerships in unlocking long-term investment across Liberia’s offshore sector.

Registration is now open for attendees. Companies interested in Liberia’s emerging offshore opportunities are invited to join LPRA, investors and upstream leaders in Houston for insights into the country’s licensing strategy and exploration outlook. For more information contact info@energycapitalpower.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

 

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Beyond Stabroek: Guyana’s Offshore Basin Attracts New Wave of Exploration Investment

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August 7, 2026

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As ExxonMobil advances appraisal activity in Stabroek and new operators target frontier acreage, Guyana is attracting global capital and building a diversified offshore portfolio designed to sustain long-term growth

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, August 7, 2026/APO Group/ –Guyana’s transformation into one of the world’s fastest-growing oil producers is entering a new phase, with a growing network of IOCs expanding exploration activity across the country’s offshore basin. Beyond the landmark discoveries that first put Guyana on the global energy map, new drilling campaigns and licensing partnerships are creating a broader exploration ecosystem designed to support long-term production growth.

At the center of this momentum is ExxonMobil’s continued exploration and appraisal activity in the prolific Stabroek Block. The company has submitted a proposal for a 35-well exploration and appraisal drilling campaign, expected to run from 2028 through 2033, pending regulatory approval. The program would build on more than 30 commercial discoveries already made in the block, with drilling activity focused on evaluating new prospects and appraising existing discoveries to support future development opportunities.

Exploration activity is also extending into Guyana’s frontier acreage, with ExxonMobil advancing drilling operations at the deepwater Canje Block. The company has deployed the Noble Stena Carron drillship for exploration activity, highlighting continued industry interest in evaluating Guyana’s underexplored offshore potential beyond the established Stabroek Block.

Guyana’s strong exploration outlook comes as the country’s economy continues to benefit from rapid oil sector expansion, with hydrocarbons expected to remain a key driver of exports, government revenues and economic growth. As production scales up, attracting additional investment across exploration, services and infrastructure will be critical to supporting the next phase of development.

That momentum is being reinforced through partnerships established under Guyana’s 2023 offshore licensing round. A consortium comprising TotalEnergies, QatarEnergy and Petronas is advancing exploration activities in Block S4 under a five-year production sharing agreement signed with the government in late 2025. The award represents one of the first major outcomes of the licensing round and demonstrates continued international confidence in Guyana’s offshore resource potential.

Beyond the largest operators, a diverse group of companies is also expanding activity across Guyana’s offshore basin. Eco Atlantic is advancing exploration at the Orinduik Block; CGX Energy and Frontera Energy are progressing work in the Corentyne Block; Occidental is evaluating opportunities in the Roraima Block; while Ratio Guyana and Cataleya Energy hold interests in the Kaieteur Block. Together, these partnerships are broadening Guyana’s exploration landscape, increasing competition for acreage and creating opportunities for future discoveries.

As Guyana transitions from an emerging producer to a global energy hub, the next challenge will be converting exploration success into sustainable investment, local value creation and regional growth. These opportunities will be explored at Caribbean Energy Week 2027, held under the theme “Unlocking the Caribbean Energy Corridor: Oil, Gas, LNG & Investment for a New Global Hub.” Bringing together governments, IOCs, investors and technology providers, the event will examine how Guyana’s expanding partnerships can accelerate offshore development, strengthen regional energy cooperation and attract the capital needed to support the Caribbean’s evolving energy landscape.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Energy Capital & Power Establishes London Entity, Expanding Global Platform for Energy and Mining Events

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August 7, 2026

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The move strengthens ECP’s presence in the UK and Europe, and its ability to connect African and South American markets with global investors

LONDON, United Kingdom, August 6, 2026/APO Group/ –International events company Energy Capital & Power (ECP) (www.EnergyCapitalPower.com) has officially established its UK entity in London, marking a milestone in the company’s growth strategy and reinforcing its ability to deliver world-class energy and mining events and campaigns in the UK and Europe.

By establishing a presence in a key hub like London – the pre-eminent energy and mining finance center – ECP actively shapes the global energy conversation. The expansion positions ECP to better serve clients, partners and investors seeking to develop business opportunities between Africa, Europe, the Americas and energy markets worldwide.

Opening our UK company brings ECP closer to key investors in the global energy finance capital

The milestone comes as ECP strengthens its reach through a series of investment platforms that connect global capital to energy and mining projects. These include the Venezuela Energy Week London Showcase on July 30 – with over 300 delegates registered – and the annual Invest in African Energy Forum, held in Paris as the premier event connecting global investors to Africa’s energy transformation.

ECP hosts high level summits and investor conferences in leading energy and minerals producing countries in Africa and South America, including: Venezuela Energy Week; Angola Oil & Gas; MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power; African Mining Week; Libya Energy & Economic Summit; Congo Energy & Investment Forum; South Sudan Oil & Power; and Caribbean Energy Week. The company has hosted investor forums and supported licensing round roadshows in Houston, London and Paris since 2016.

“Opening our UK company brings ECP closer to key investors in the global energy finance capital,” states CEO James Chester. “Having a permanent presence in London further cements our footprint in Europe, enabling us to fulfil our mission to bring minerals and energy investment to diverse global markets.”

With teams located across Africa, Europe and the Americas, ECP has long-facilitated strategic engagement, market intelligence and industry convening, uniting investors with leading energy and mining projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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