Global product placement is becoming a larger component of brand investment as advertisers seek ways to integrate products into entertainment rather than relying solely on conventional ad formats. New research from PQ Media estimates that worldwide product placement spending increased 12.7% to $37.16 billion in 2025, accelerating from 12.1% growth in 2024.
PQ Media forecasts another 12.8% increase in 2026 to $41.92 billion, which would represent the sixth consecutive year of double-digit growth following the pandemic-driven contraction in 2020.
The recovery of U.S. film and television production after the writers’ and actors’ strikes contributed to the 2025 expansion, while streaming, digital media, music and emerging short-form entertainment formats created additional integration opportunities.
Streaming and Digital Drive Placement Growth
Television remained the largest product-placement category, generating $26.16 billion globally in 2025. Streaming programming was a major contributor as subscription video services continued producing original shows and films across major markets.
Movie product placement ranked second at $4.44 billion. PQ Media also points to digital formats, including virtual placements inserted during post-production and AI-enabled integrations, as emerging areas of growth.
Music was the fastest-growing category, with placement spending increasing 13.8% in 2025. Podcast integrations, particularly host-led brand references, contributed to that expansion.
Short-form micro-dramas, consisting of episodic clips typically running five to 15 minutes on social platforms, are another developing opportunity for advertisers. Their integration-friendly format provides brands with additional environments beyond conventional television and film.
Advertiser and Publisher Impact
For advertisers, product placement offers a way to associate brands with entertainment content while reducing reliance on interruptive advertising formats. The growth also points to increasing interest in integrations that connect brands directly to storylines, characters and creator-led content.
Publishers and content producers have a commercial incentive to accommodate these integrations as production costs rise and traditional advertising revenues face pressure. PQ Media says this has contributed to greater willingness across media categories to incorporate paid product placements.
The U.S. remains the dominant market, accounting for 56.5% of worldwide spending and generating $21.01 billion in 2025, up 13.2%. Brazil, Mexico and Australia were the only other markets to exceed $1 billion.
Strategic Outlook
The market’s growth is occurring alongside constraints on the supply of new entertainment content. Broadcast and cable networks are producing fewer scripted and reality programs, while film production remains below 2019 levels. PQ Media also identifies slower growth in new video games, music videos, podcasts and print publications as potential limitations.
That creates a tension for advertisers: demand for integrations is growing, but the volume of suitable premium content may not expand at the same pace.
For the programmatic advertising ecosystem, product placement also highlights the growing importance of content-level and contextual advertising opportunities. Virtual placements and digitally inserted brand integrations could eventually create more measurable inventory, although the announcement does not establish a standardized programmatic market for these formats.
The broader opportunity is therefore less about replacing traditional media buying and more about connecting brand integrations with increasingly fragmented streaming and digital content consumption.
Top Insights
- $37.16B market: Global product placement spending increased 12.7% in 2025.
- 2026 growth: PQ Media forecasts spending to reach $41.92 billion.
- TV dominates: Television generated $26.16 billion in global placement spending.
- Music leads growth: Music placements increased 13.8%, driven partly by podcast integrations.
- Digital innovation: Virtual and AI-embedded placements are creating new integration opportunities.
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