Screenforce: Dutch TV advertising market grows 2.5% in H1 2026
The Dutch TV advertising market generated net revenue of €400 million in the first half of 2026, split between Total Video (€365 million) and Branded Partnerships (€35 million). This marked the first increase after three consecutive first halves of declining spend. VOD spending posted record growth of 38% and accounted for 13% of total Total Video spending. Branded Partnerships declined by 8.2%.
In the first half of 2026, 676 advertisers ran campaigns on linear TV across 875 brands and 3,523 unique commercials, with an average commercial length of 21.5 seconds. Advertising volume increased by 10%, while GRP consumption among 25–59-year-olds fell by 7% as average commercial break ratings were 15% lower than a year earlier. Procter & Gamble remained the largest advertiser, while Lidl was the fastest-growing advertiser in the top 25, increasing its gross TV spend by 52%.
On 6 April 2026, NMO introduced its new Video Totaal measurement standard. Under the new standard, video viewing is no longer measured solely on the TV screen, but across TV sets, smartphones, tablets and desktop/laptop computers. At the same time, the former “Other Screen Use” category was partly divided into VOD (Video on Demand) and VSP (Video Sharing Platforms), providing a more complete picture of total video viewing behaviour. The change does, however, create a clear break in the historical trend data.
Between 6 April and 30 June, Dutch viewers aged 6 and over watched an average of 111 minutes of linear TV per day, alongside 19 minutes of VOD and 31 minutes of VSP. VOD therefore accounted for 12% and VSP for 19% of measured Video Totaal viewing time. Younger viewers show a markedly different viewing pattern: 20–34-year-olds watched an average of just 33 minutes of linear TV per day, compared with 22 minutes of VOD and 46 minutes of VSP.
For the full year 2026, the Total Video market is expected to grow by approximately 2%, with the linear market forecast to remain stable and VOD expected to post strong growth again.
