US Digital Ad Revenue Hit High of $32.7 Billion for First Half 2016, Says IAB

U.S. digital advertising revenue hit a high of $32.7 billion in the first half of 2016, a 19 percent jump from the same period last year, said the Interactive Advertising Bureau in a Tuesday news release on its latest PwC-prepared internet ad revenue report. For 2Q, ad revenue rose 18 percent to $16.9 billion. Mobile ad revenue was nearly half of the total revenue for the first six months this year -- or about $15.5 billion, up 89 percent from the same period. Within mobile, IAB said smartphone and tablet videos reached $1.6 billion for the period, a 178 percent hike. "Total social media revenues, including mobile and desktop, surged to $7 billion in HY 2016, a 57% rise compared to $4.4 billion in HY 2015," said IAB. "Consumers’ appetite to enjoy media -- in particular video and social media -- on smartphones and tablets provides marketers with the opportunity to connect and interact with their customers while they are on the go, in a very personal environment," said IAB Chief Marketing Officer David Doty.