Advertisers will spend over $121 billion advertising on US social networks in 2026 and continue to gravitate toward low-price, low-lift places to spend their budgets. While time spent with social media has essentially plateaued in the US, the social platforms have proven effective at raising their ad loads.

Key Question: How is ad spending on social networks changing?

Key Stat: Social media’s share of time spent with media will peak in 2026, then begin declining in 2027. But its share of digital ad spending will continue climbing, reaching 32.6% in 2027.