Insights
November 28, 2025
2026 TV Advertising Predictions: What's Next for Small Business
Trends, technologies, and opportunities to watch in the coming year
Table of Contents
The TV advertising landscape is changing faster than ever. What worked in 2024 looks different from 2025, and 2026 promises even more evolution.
For small businesses, these changes are largely good news. The trends reshaping TV advertising are making it more accessible, more measurable, and more effective for businesses of all sizes.
Here are seven predictions for TV advertising in 2026, and what they mean for your business.
Prediction 1: AI-Powered Creative Goes Mainstream
The biggest barrier to TV advertising has always been production cost. Professional commercials required expensive agencies, video production crews, and weeks of development.
That's changing fast.
In 2026, AI-generated commercials will become the norm, not the exception. Tools that can create professional-quality video ads from text prompts, website content, or simple inputs will mature significantly.
What this means for small businesses:
No production budget required to get started
Faster iteration on creative concepts
Personalized ads for different audiences become feasible
The playing field levels between small businesses and big brands
Platforms like Adwave are already demonstrating this future. Provide a website URL, and AI generates a broadcast-ready commercial in minutes. By 2026, this will feel as normal as creating a social media post.
Prediction 2: FAST Channels Continue Explosive Growth
Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) channels are booming. Services like Tubi, Pluto TV, and Freevee are attracting massive audiences who want free content with ads rather than paid subscriptions.
The numbers are dramatic:
FAST revenue is projected to exceed $12 billion by 2027
More than 80% of streaming households use at least one FAST service
Ad loads on FAST channels are typically lower than traditional TV
What this means for small businesses:
More premium inventory available at accessible prices
Audiences accustomed to ads during streaming content
New channels opening up for local targeting
CPMs remaining competitive as supply grows
In 2026, expect FAST to become a primary channel for CTV advertising, not just a secondary option.
Prediction 3: Attribution Gets Easier (and More Expected)
"Half my advertising is wasted. The trouble is, I don't know which half."
That classic quote is becoming less true every year. TV advertising attribution is improving rapidly, and 2026 will bring significant advances.
What's improving:
Cross-device tracking connecting TV views to digital actions
QR code scanning becoming more normalized
Brand lift studies becoming more accessible
Real-time dashboards showing campaign performance
What this means for small businesses:
Clearer picture of what's working
Better ability to optimize campaigns in real-time
Stronger case for TV in the marketing mix
Reduced "leap of faith" for first-time advertisers
Platforms like Adwave already provide dashboards showing impressions, reach, and audience geography. Expect these capabilities to expand significantly.
Prediction 4: Interactive TV Ads Become Standard
The passive TV ad experience is evolving. Interactive elements are becoming more common:
QR codes linking to websites, offers, or apps
Voice commands ("OK Google, learn more about...")
Click-to-action on smart TVs
Shoppable ads with direct purchase capabilities
What this means for small businesses:
Shorter path from impression to conversion
New creative possibilities
Better tracking through interactive engagement
More direct response capabilities from brand campaigns
In 2026, including a QR code in your TV ad won't be innovative. It will be expected.
Prediction 5: Local Advertising Gets More Programmatic
Local TV advertising has historically been messy: different systems for different markets, manual negotiations, limited targeting options.
That's changing as programmatic buying expands to local markets:
More inventory available through self-serve platforms
Better geographic targeting at the ZIP code level
Easier to run multi-market campaigns
Simplified pricing and buying processes
What this means for small businesses:
Easier access to local TV without agency relationships
More precise targeting around your locations
Ability to test in one market before expanding
Better budget control and flexibility
The technology making national programmatic CTV possible is trickling down to local markets, making small business TV advertising more accessible than ever.
Prediction 6: SMB Adoption Accelerates
The biggest trend may be who's advertising, not how.
Small and medium businesses have historically avoided TV advertising, assuming it wasn't "for them." That assumption is breaking down:
Lower minimum budgets (starting at $50 on platforms like Adwave)
Simplified creative production through AI
Better targeting reaching relevant local audiences
Clearer ROI measurement
What this means:
More businesses competing for attention (act now before it's crowded)
Platform improvements driven by SMB needs
More case studies and success stories from businesses like yours
TV advertising becoming a standard part of SMB marketing mix
If you've been waiting to try TV advertising, 2026 may be the year your competitors stop waiting.
Prediction 7: New Entrants Shake Up the Market
The TV advertising technology market is attracting significant investment and innovation. Expect:
New platforms making buying even simpler
Better creative tools for non-experts
More pricing competition benefiting advertisers
Innovative targeting and measurement capabilities
The dominance of traditional TV ad buying is eroding as new players prove there are better ways to serve small business advertisers.
How to Prepare Your Business for These Changes
These predictions aren't just interesting, they're actionable. Here's how to position your business:
Start Now, Not Later
The best way to understand TV advertising in 2026 is to have experience from 2025. Start with a small test campaign:
Learn how targeting works in your market
Understand your audience's response
Build baseline metrics to measure against
Get comfortable with the tools and processes
Plan for AI-First Creative
As AI creative improves, plan to take advantage:
Ensure your website and assets are high-quality (AI pulls from them)
Document your brand guidelines clearly
Build a library of images and messaging
Be ready to iterate quickly on creative concepts
Embrace Measurement
When attribution improves, you want to be ready:
Set up tracking on your website now
Train your team to ask "how did you hear about us?"
Define success metrics before you need them
Build the habit of reviewing performance data
Stay Informed
The landscape is evolving quickly. Stay current:
Follow industry publications
Connect with your advertising platforms
Watch what competitors are doing
Test new features as they launch
Make 2026 Your TV Advertising Year
The trends are clear: TV advertising is becoming more accessible, more measurable, and more effective for small businesses. The question isn't whether these changes are coming, it's whether you'll be ready for them.
Adwave is built for this future. AI-powered creative generation, low minimum budgets, simple self-serve buying, and clear performance dashboards. Everything that's coming mainstream in 2026 is available today.
Don't wait for the future to arrive. Create your first TV ad now and enter 2026 with experience, insights, and momentum.
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