The 2026 Industry
Pulse Report UK
Industry experts reveal what’s next for digital media in 2026
The UK digital media landscape is evolving at pace and 2026 is already set to be a defining year. To help you stay ahead, IAS surveyed UK experts across brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms to uncover the forces shaping next year’s plans.

The result: the 2026 UK Industry Pulse Report; a sharp, insight-packed look at what’s coming.

Here’s a quick preview:

Video and social stay in the spotlight

Digital video leads the pack, with 87% calling it a top priority. Social remains essential, and creator-led environments are maturing fast; 79% say creator suitability now determines where they show up.

AI brings momentum and a few headaches

AI-generated content exploded in 2025. More than half (56%) say adjacency to AI content will be a major challenge in 2026, driving demand for stronger oversight and third-party verification.

Sustainability is climbing the agenda

40% of UK publishers now rank monitoring carbon emissions from programmatic advertising as their top issue for 2026. Sustainable, responsible media buying is becoming a core pillar of media quality.

Media quality drives performance

With budgets under pressure, UK advertisers are doubling down on the metrics that prove real impact from brand safety and suitability (82%) to attention (84%) across social, programmatic, and retail media.

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