Boostr’s Q4 2023 Media Ad Sales Trend Report

Industry insights to guide your strategy

Shifts in consumer behavior, new tech, and evolving marketing dynamics create as many opportunities as pitfalls for the modern media enterprise. In response, intelligent publishers stay on top of trends to adapt, innovate, and remain competitive, no matter what’s happening outside their industry. 

We created boostr’s long-running Media Ad Sales Trend report for publishers that want to stay on the cutting edge. The result of extensive consultation and analysis of data from partners around the globe, the MAST report is designed to deliver a clear picture of what’s happening on the front lines at media companies of every size. 

The latest report examines the final quarter of 2023, a true mixed bag for publishers, with emerging trends including slowing growth, high churn, and compressed turnaround times, yet steady deal volume and new categories showing substantial growth. These insights can drive smart decision-making as we move deeper into the new year. 

The industry started normalizing in the final quarter of 2023, with growth rates rebounding. (We called this in our end-of-year predictions.) Our customer base noted year-over-year growth in the mid-single digits in Q4, with niche publishers growing considerably faster—in the 20% to 25% range. While growth has slowed since the pandemic boom, it remains steady. 

With such modest growth rates, retaining business while adding new clients is increasingly important. Retention, however,  has been difficult for many publishers. Media companies’ average net revenue retention (NRR) hovers around 49%. While that’s higher than in some years, it impacts overall growth, and media companies should address it to create sustainability. 

Shorter lead times, which have made forecasting dicey, are exacerbating some of last year’s difficulties in publishing. Deal times sped considerably over 2023, and the average RFP turnaround is down by more than 50% from the prior year. This creates a harried atmosphere for sellers that necessitates supportive tech solutions. 

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Some categories, such as auto, have witnessed impressive growth that has supported ad spending. Publishers courting the right verticals can capture more ad dollars and implement retention tactics. 

In our Media Ad Sales Trend Report, we also explore more statistics on who’s spending, Q4 deal size and volume, and how publishers are running Rev and Ad Ops to deliver accurate forecasts and optimized campaigns. 

Read the Media Ad Sales Trend Report in full here. 

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