The television segment in the CEE in 2024

In 2024, television remained the leading advertising channel across most Central and Eastern European markets, although its share continued to erode as digital platforms expanded. In many countries, TV still accounted for between 40% and 70% of total ad spend, underlining its enduring strength. Yet the shift in viewing habits — particularly among younger audiences — highlighted the gradual transition toward connected TV (CTV), video-on-demand (VOD), and streaming services.

2024 was a strong year for CEE advertising, and contrary to the small decline of 1% in spending in 2023, this past year television investments grew by 10%, amounting to 3,53 billion EUR. Proportionally this was still the smallest growth among segments, all the others showed more YoY increase. This takes up 28% of the overall spending in the region, which shows a slight decrease compared to 2023.

Structural shifts also marked the market. Ownership changes and consolidation continued in Poland, Bulgaria, and Albania, while measurement and trust issues surfaced in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Across the region, television reinforced its status as a trusted medium, especially among older demographics, even as digital video platforms steadily reshaped the viewing landscape.

Albania exemplified television’s dominance, with the medium attracting around 72% of ad investment. Flagship entertainment formats such as Big Brother VIP and the broadcasting of Euro 2024 drove high demand, with national broadcasters Top Channel, Klan, and Vizion + leading the market. Bosnia and Herzegovina also relied heavily on TV, which captured 63% of ad spend, though audience measurement faced disruption after the suspension of peoplemeter data. A temporary model based on historical patterns and HybridView::TV software helped sustain advertiser confidence.

Across the Baltics, TV showed mixed results: Estonia and Latvia retained strong television markets, with TV representing 30% and 39% of ad revenues respectively, while Lithuania leaned more decisively toward digital. Hungary kept television as the second-largest medium, behind global digital platforms, while Montenegro maintained TV as the clear leader with 50% of ad spend, despite the small overall size of its market.

In Poland, television’s market share slipped slightly, from 33% to 33%, reflecting the broader shift toward digital. At the same time, in-stream video on social platforms rose sharply (+28.6%), while long-form formats such as BVOD, AVOD, and SVOD grew by nearly 17%. Structural changes also marked the market, with Ringier Axel Springer Polska and CVC Capital Partners preparing to acquire TVN from Warner Bros. Discovery. Streaming platforms adjusted their positions as well, with Netflix raising subscription prices and HBO Max rebranding temporarily to “Max” before reverting to the original brand.

Romania confirmed television’s primacy, with TV absorbing 67% of advertising budgets, though overall reach continued to decline. The core 65+ audience sustained prime-time ratings, while younger audiences shifted toward digital. Local streaming platform VOYO saw strong subscriber growth during Euro 2024, and international platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Max, and Sky Showtime expanded their presence, some with new advertising tiers.

In Serbia, television accounted for 48% of advertising expenditure, with more than 300 stations active on the market. Daily live viewing had been declining in recent years but registered a slight increase in 2024, reaching just over five hours per day. Older audiences continued to rely heavily on TV, sustaining its trust levels, while younger demographics increasingly consumed digital video. Slovakia showed a similar picture: television still attracted the largest share of investment, though linear viewing continued to decline, especially among younger groups.

Ukraine provided a unique case. For the first time in years, television increased its market share the most out of all segments, reaching 13% of total ad spend, but with 54% YoY growth. The increase was fueled by the return of major brand campaigns and significant state communications, while digital TV contributed an additional 2.6%.