The Media Market in Romania 2023

Overall media spending reached 770 million euros in 2023, marking a 12% increase compared to 2022. The media mix remains dominated by TV, holding a 58% share, followed by Digital with 32%. The remaining 10% is divided among other media channels, with Radio and OOH managing to recover to pre-pandemic levels and maintaining stability.

TV reach continues to decline due to shrinking audiences year after year. Notable declines are observed in two key age segments (18-24 and 35-44), as they increasingly turn to digital platforms. However, the mature audience (65+) continues to support and even increase viewership during Prime Time.

Significant changes have been made to the TV audience measurement panel:

Some cities have been reclassified into different urban strata.

The share of the urban universe increased from 54% to 57%, due to the inclusion of 78 villages.

Digital investments are steadily growing at approximately 20% year-on-year, with international platforms dominating the market. Mobile access accounts for over 80% of internet usage.

Video-on-demand platforms, both international and local, are seeing a rise in subscribers. While some, like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime, remain ad-free, others (MAX, SkyShowtime) have introduced services that include advertising.

Radio stations have adapted quickly to the digital landscape, integrating their programs into social platforms and expanding into digital radio. OOH has regained relevance as a useful communication channel, particularly for retailers, gambling houses, and telecommunications.

Influencer marketing continues to grow, fueled by digitalization and the increasing number of social media users. However, the industry faced some controversies in 2023-2024, with at least three major influencers embroiled in scandals.

No significant changes were observed in the Romanian media market in terms of advertised categories. The most prominent sectors remain pharma, retail, sweets, and gambling (the latter is restricted on TV to post-11:00 PM slots).

Distribution of advertising spending by media types (2023 net, eur M)

Published: September 15, 2024

COSTIN GRIGORAS
MEDIA DIRECTOR | MEDIA INVESTMENT (THEGROUP)
costin.grigoras@wecan.net
Costin is an engineer specialized in electric drives but has never practiced the profession. He got his first job at Grey Worldwide as a Junior Media Planner a long time ago (1999). Since then, Costin has had the chance to develop media campaigns for a lot of clients from almost all existing categories in the Romanian market. When he joined thegroup in 2012, he realized that it was essential to combine audience figures with the understanding of the consumers, to identify their needs and wishes to better customize communication and reach them at the most possible relevant touchpoints.

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The Media Market in Romania 2023

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