2022 Media Market Report: Q1 analysis and forecast

The need-to-knows from our latest Media Market Report.

27th January 2022 Read time: 2 minutes
AV

A buoyant Q1 will see pockets of inflation across the board but primarily in younger audiences, while there will be a notable spike in Q4 centred around the men’s football World Cup, the first time such an event has been held in this period. 2022 is likely to continue the trend of non-linear TV taking even greater share of budgets, viewers and column inches.

Online

Across 2022 we’re expecting to see maintained growth in consumption and advertiser investment in online channels. Brands need to consider how to distribute a concise, authentic, and relevant message across owned, earned and paid channels, as well as elevating e-commerce offerings in order to maximise growth opportunities from engaged, addressable audiences.

Publishing

Publishers were highly innovative to retain audiences in 2021, 2022 looks no different. More opportunities beyond traditional media are becoming available, and Reach recently overtook the BBC to become the top homegrown online publisher in the UK. The latest ABC figures will be published soon and we’ll have a full year view of magazines and press for 2021.

Audio

The return of RAJAR has put quantifiable data behind commercial radio’s strengthening position over the pandemic, highlighting how the changes in our routines have shifted how and when people listen to audio. Traditional peaks have flattened, listening is now more consistent throughout the day and smart speakers have become more prevalent.

OOH

Though the pandemic isn’t yet over, OOH is broadly back to a position of strength. However, recovery hasn’t been felt evenly across all environments, with tube and rail struggling with current levels of working from home. Despite this, broader confidence means 2022 is set to be a year of media owner investment into increased digitisation and tech.

Cinema

Despite a challenging 2021, Cinema found itself in a strong position by December (helped by a stack of blockbusters). Q4 audiences returned to 80% of pre-pandemic levels and 2021 full year admissions were up 50% from 2020. This year looks set to be the next stage in Cinema’s recovery with a bumper film slate and increasing audience confidence.

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