SMI: TV sees some growth but overall ad market down again

TV enjoyed a stronger April in terms of ad spend, despite the overall paid media market dropping back by more than 2% according to the latest Standard Media Index numbers.

The latest set of figures, adjusted to take out spend for IPG Mediabrands’ agencies which pulled out of the metric last month, show cinema was the medium worst affected by the Easter break landing in March this year, dropping 22% year-on-year.

TV managed 0.4% growth to $236.7m, bucking the trend of single-digit declines in recent months, buoyed largely by a 20.9% increase in government spending to $31.5m across all media, as it looked to run out ad campaigns ahead of the caretaker period in the run-up to the election.

Network Seven was the dominant force with 41.8% of the metro market, up on its 37.6% the month before, while Nine slipped back to 34.9% share, and Ten back to 23.2% from 25.2% in March.