Video Marketing Statistics 2026: Trends, Data & Insights

Video is eating the internet. In fact, global digital video ad spending is set to hit a massive $223.5 billion in 2026.

That is a 7.7% jump from last year. If you want to grab attention, these Video Marketing Statistics show exactly where the money is flowing.

We tracked the huge shift toward AI-generated content, the power of short-form video, and mobile viewing habits. Stop guessing with your budget. Here is the raw data to fix your strategy and boost ROI today.

Fun Fact: 82% of all internet traffic is now driven purely by video content.

The State of Video Marketing in 2026

Video continues to be the primary medium for brand communication, with adoption rates hitting all-time highs. Businesses are prioritizing video not just for awareness, but as a direct revenue driver across multiple channels.

89% of businesses actively use video as a marketing tool in 2026, consistent with the high adoption rates of previous years.

95% of video marketers now consider video a “must-have” for their overall strategy, a significant jump from 88% in 2025.

75% of marketing videos in 2026 are expected to be AI-generated or AI-assisted, marking a massive shift in production workflows.

82% of all internet traffic is driven by video content, making it the most consumed form of media globally.

91% of consumers say they want to see more video content from brands, driving companies to increase output.

$223.5 billion is the projected global spend on digital video advertising in 2026, a 7.7% increase from 2025.

Implication: Video is no longer an “emerging” trend—it is the standard. The integration of AI is the new frontier, allowing brands to scale production to meet insatiable consumer demand.

Global Video Advertising Market Size

The financial investment in video advertising continues to skyrocket as traditional TV budgets shift to digital channels. This data highlights the massive scale of the video economy.

Market Segment	2025 Value (Est.)	2026 Value (Proj.)	Growth Rate
Digital Video Ads	$191.3 Billion	$212.7 Billion	+11.2%
Mobile Video Ads	$135.4 Billion	$158.9 Billion	+17.3%
Connected TV (CTV)	$38.2 Billion	$46.3 Billion	+21.2%
Social Video Ads	$98.5 Billion	$110.1 Billion	+11.7%

Digital video ad spending in the US alone will surpass $95 billion in 2026.
Mobile video accounts for 75% of all digital video ad spending globally.
Programmatic video now represents 91% of all digital video ad transactions.

These figures confirm that advertisers are aggressively moving funds to where eyeballs are: mobile screens and streaming apps. The double-digit growth in Connected TV signals a major opportunity for high-quality ad placements.

Video Marketing ROI & Conversion Data

The return on investment for video has never been clearer, with data showing direct correlations between video content and sales figures. Marketers are finding that video reduces friction in the buyer's journey significantly.

93% of marketers report a positive ROI from video marketing, the highest percentage recorded to date.
87% of consumers state that a video has directly convinced them to purchase a product or service.
84% of marketers credit video with generating leads, while 88% say it directly increases sales.
62% of businesses say video has reduced the number of support queries they receive, saving operational costs.
Marketers who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video users.
1.5x higher likelihood for users to watch a video ad on a smartphone compared to desktop, driving higher mobile conversions.

Implication: Video is a profit center. It serves dual purposes: driving top-line revenue through conversions and protecting the bottom line by reducing customer support loads.

Short-Form Video Dominance & Trends

Short-form video remains the undisputed king of engagement, with platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels capturing the majority of consumer attention. Attention spans are shrinking, and content must be punchy to survive.

$122.5 billion is the estimated ad spend on short-form video alone in 2026, reflecting a 10.2% growth year-over-year.
66% of consumers identify short-form video as the most engaging type of social media content.
73% of Gen Z users rely on short-form video for product discovery and research.
25% of adults will close a video after just 10 seconds if it doesn't hook them immediately.
TikTok generated an estimated $9 billion in ad revenue in the US in 2024, a figure expected to grow as it solidifies its role in search and discovery.
YouTube Shorts is a key driver for Google, contributing to a combined ad revenue (with search) of over $229 billion in 2026.

Implication: If you aren't creating for vertical, short-form formats, you are invisible to a massive segment of the market. The “hook” is everything—you have seconds to win the viewer.

Mobile Video Consumption Statistics

Mobile devices are the primary screen for video consumption, dictating that all content must be optimized for vertical viewing and sound-off environments. The shift to 5G is further accelerating high-quality mobile streaming.

75% of all video views globally happen on mobile devices.
5.4 hours is the average daily time Americans spend on mobile devices, with video taking a significant share of that time.
92% of mobile video viewers share content with others, making mobile the most viral platform.
70% of YouTube watch time occurs on mobile devices.
85% of mobile videos are watched without sound, necessitating the use of captions for retention.
90% view rate is achieved by vertical video ads, compared to just 14% for horizontal ones on mobile.

Implication: “Mobile-first” is a mandatory design principle. Vertical aspect ratios and captions are not optional features but critical requirements for performance.

Social Media Video Ad Spend 2026

Social platforms are absorbing a massive chunk of advertising budgets, with video being the preferred format for paid campaigns. The competition for feed visibility is driving up spend and forcing higher creativity.

46.2% of digital ad spending in the US will go to social video by the end of 2026.
$5 billion per week is the estimated global spend on social media ads in 2026.
Instagram is projected to generate $30 billion+ in ad revenue, positioning itself as a video-first commerce engine.
$183.57 billion is the projected market volume for social media advertising in the US by 2030, driven by video.
32.1% of total digital ad spend in 2025 was attributed to social media ads, a trend continuing into 2026.
12.24% CAGR is expected for social media ad spending in the US between 2025 and 2030.

Implication: Social video is the most expensive but most effective real estate in digital marketing. Budgets are shifting away from static images and traditional TV toward dynamic social placements.

AI & Future Video Technology

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the entire video production lifecycle, from ideation to distribution. Automation is enabling brands to produce “hollywood-quality” content at a fraction of the traditional cost and time.

50% of enterprise video budgets will be influenced by predictive analytics models before production even begins by 2026.
AI video generators are now used by 75% of marketers to create or edit content, drastically reducing production times.
Automated captions and scripts are used by nearly 60% of marketers to streamline workflows.
Spatial analytics for AR/VR environments are emerging as a new discipline with standardized metrics by 2030.
Generative AI helps brands create mass-personalized videos, tailoring content to individual viewer preferences at scale.
Cognitive AI systems are predicted to manage most large-scale campaigns autonomously by 2030.

Implication: AI is the ultimate force multiplier. It allows marketing teams to move from “creation” to “curation,” producing higher volumes of targeted content with less manual effort.

Connected TV (CTV) & Streaming Trends

As linear TV declines, Connected TV (CTV) and Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) are exploding. These platforms offer the impact of TV commercials with the targeting precision of digital ads.

$46.3 billion is the projected CTV ad spend in 2026, driven by cord-cutters and shifting viewer habits.
$12.5 billion is the expected revenue for FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) channels in 2026, a 20% increase.
A 16% increase in political ad spending on CTV is expected for the 2026 midterms, hitting $2.9 billion.
Over 3.5 hours is the daily video consumption on connected devices projected for 2028, surpassing traditional TV.
85% of political video spend in 2026 will go to TV (linear + CTV), cementing its role in high-stakes messaging.
Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) faces competition as viewers increasingly prefer free, ad-supported options due to subscription fatigue.

Implication: The living room is back in play for digital marketers. CTV and FAST channels provide a premium environment for brands to reach engaged audiences who have abandoned traditional cable.

Influencer Video Marketing Stats

Influencers act as the distribution network for modern video campaigns, lending credibility and reach. The creator economy is deeply intertwined with video marketing success.

72% of marketers used influencers for video campaigns in 2026.
Micro-influencers (10k-100k followers) deliver 60% higher engagement than mega-influencers.
TikTok creator campaigns generate a 2.5x higher ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) than standard ads.
84% of Gen Z trust influencers more than traditional celebrities or brand ads.

Partnering with creators allows brands to access niche communities without building them from scratch. Authentic alignment between the influencer's style and the brand's message is critical.

Video Engagement & Consumer Behavior

Understanding how users interact with video is key to retaining them. The data shows a clear preference for content that is educational, authentic, and respectful of the user's time.

98% of users have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service.
91% of consumers say video quality determines their trust in a brand, highlighting the need for high production values.
50% engagement rate is seen in videos under 1 minute, compared to just 17% for videos over 60 minutes.
1,200% more shares are generated by social video than text and image content combined.
78% of people watch videos online every week, with 55% watching on a daily basis.
Music videos remain the most watched category of online video content globally as of 2025.

Implication: Engagement is a metric of relevance. Users will give you their time if you solve a problem or entertain them quickly. Long-winded, low-quality content is a conversion killer.

B2B Video Marketing Statistics

B2B marketers are increasingly adopting video to humanize complex products and shorten sales cycles. LinkedIn has emerged as the premier platform for professional video content.

70% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn video for lead generation, making it the top platform for this sector.
Video case studies and testimonials are among the most effective formats for B2B buyers.
Webinars and live streams continue to be critical for B2B engagement, offering deep-dive value to prospects.
68% of non-video marketers in 2025 planned to start using video in 2026 to avoid falling behind competitors.
Sales teams using video in emails see higher open and click-through rates compared to text-only outreach.
Interactive video is gaining traction in B2B for demos, allowing prospects to “choose their own adventure”.

Implication: B2B doesn't mean “boring.” Professional buyers crave the same visual engagement as consumers. Video allows B2B brands to explain complex solutions simply and effectively.

Future of Video: 2026 and Beyond

Looking ahead, video will merge with immersive technologies like AR and VR to create spatial computing experiences. The definition of “video” will expand from flat screens to 3D environments.

Augmented Reality (AR) video ads are projected to generate $5 billion in revenue by 2027.
Virtual Reality (VR) video consumption is expected to rise by 22% as hardware costs decrease.
360-degree video ads achieve 46% higher video completion rates than standard video ads.
Personalized video (using data to insert user names/details) will be standard in 40% of CRM strategies by 2027.
Neuromarketing (measuring brain response to video) will become a mainstream testing method for Fortune 500 brands.

The next evolution of video is immersive and interactive. Brands preparing for spatial video now will lead the market when headsets replace handsets.

Fun Fact

Did you know that YouTube generates more revenue than Netflix? In 2026, YouTube's ad revenue plus premium subscriptions significantly outpaces the streaming giant, proving that user-generated content is the most profitable media model in history.

Conclusion: Actionable Insights for 2026

Video marketing in 2026 is defined by automation, brevity, and interactivity. The statistics clearly show that brands must pivot to AI-assisted workflows to keep up with demand while focusing on short-form content to capture attention.

Key takeaways for your strategy:

Prioritize Short-Form: Dedicate resources to TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
Invest in AI: Use generative tools to lower costs and speed up editing.
Optimize for Silent Viewing: Never publish without captions.
Expand to CTV: Move ad budgets to streaming platforms for better targeting.
Measure Business Impact: Focus on sales and leads, not just view counts.

Data proves that video is the most effective medium for influence and conversion. Executing a video-first strategy is the surest path to growth in the coming year.

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Video Marketing Statistics 2026: Trends, Data & Insights