German Digital Ad Market Set to Grow 13.8% to Nearly €9bn in 2026
Germany's OVK has raised its 2026 forecast, now expecting digital advertising to grow 13.8% to nearly €9 billion despite economic headwinds, with video set to become the market's single largest format.
A Confident Upgrade in an Uncertain Economy
The OVK, the online-marketers' body within Germany's BVDW, has revised its 2026 outlook sharply upward. It now expects the German digital advertising market to grow by 13.8% to nearly €9 billion, a striking show of confidence given the wider economic uncertainty.
The headline within the headline is video: the OVK expects it to overtake other formats and become the largest single category of digital advertising, cementing a years-long shift in how budgets are allocated.
Why Video Is Eating the Market
Audiences have moved decisively to video across streaming, social and connected TV, and advertising money is following attention. Video offers the storytelling power of TV with the targeting and measurability of digital, a combination that is hard for planners to resist.
For marketers, that means video is no longer a premium add-on but the centre of gravity. Brands still treating it as an occasional flourish rather than a core capability risk being left behind as competitors build video-first operations.
Marketing Minute's Take
A double-digit growth forecast in a soft economy tells you where confidence sits: in digital, and increasingly in video. But rising spend also means rising competition and cost, so efficiency and creative quality matter more, not less.
The practical takeaway is to build genuine video capability now, at the volume and speed that modern platforms demand. The winners will be brands that can produce good video consistently and affordably, not those who commission one expensive hero film a year and hope it travels.
Quick FAQ
What is the OVK's 2026 forecast?
The OVK, part of Germany's BVDW, now expects the German digital ad market to grow 13.8% to nearly €9 billion in 2026, an upward revision, with video set to become the largest format.
Why is video becoming the biggest format?
Audiences have shifted to video across streaming, social and connected TV, and ad budgets follow attention. Video combines TV-style storytelling with digital targeting and measurability.
What should marketers do about it?
Build real video capability at scale and speed. As spend and competition rise, brands that can produce good video consistently and affordably will outperform those relying on one hero film a year.
A near-14% digital growth forecast in a shaky economy is a loud vote of confidence — and it's flowing to video. But rising spend means rising competition, so the edge isn't just being in video, it's being able to make good video at volume and speed. That capability is fast becoming table stakes. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
Video is becoming the centre of gravity in digital advertising — build the capability to make it well, at volume and speed, or get left behind.
Is your brand built to produce good video consistently and affordably — or still commissioning one hero film a year and hoping?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: OVK, BVDW, HORIZONT, OnlineMarketing.de (September 2026).
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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