Proximic by Comscore’s 2026 State of Programmatic Report reveals a maturing programmatic ecosystem where CTV and audio are poised to drive growth, cross-channel performance measurement is essential for smarter budget allocation, and AI-powered optimization has become table stakes for advertisers.
Quick Intel
The third annual 2026 State of Programmatic Report from Proximic by Comscore, based on responses from over 200 media buyers, highlights a shift toward purposeful, performance-driven programmatic buying. While overall investment continues to grow, the emphasis has moved from sheer scale to quality, transparency, control, and measurable business results across channels.
“Programmatic is entering its mature growth phase, where buyers are moving budget with purpose and demanding transparency, quality, and outcomes across every screen,” said Rachel Gantz, Managing Director of Proximic by Comscore. “This year’s report shows the overwhelming majority of marketers recognize that AI-powered optimization is essential and that the next wave of growth will come from smarter allocation across CTV, audio, and privacy-forward activation.”
CTV and audio stand out as the primary drivers of programmatic expansion in 2026. On average, CTV is expected to account for 26% of media budgets, while audio is projected at 10%. The largest source of incremental spend for these channels is reallocation from linear TV, with 45% of marketers shifting budgets to programmatic CTV and 21% to programmatic audio.
This trend reflects advertisers’ pursuit of addressable, measurable inventory in premium video and audio environments, particularly as linear TV budgets continue to decline.
AI has transitioned from emerging capability to core requirement. 82% of respondents consider AI-powered optimization essential for 2026 campaigns. The most anticipated AI applications include:
While 69% plan to incorporate some AI-generated creative, only 11% expect AI to comprise more than 40% of their creatives, indicating a hybrid model that balances automation with human oversight.
With increasing privacy regulations and the decline of third-party identifiers, contextual targeting is seeing renewed priority. 43% of marketers plan to increase its use in 2026, and in privacy-regulated verticals, 50% report contextual as their primary targeting method.
This shift underscores a broader move toward privacy-forward activation strategies that prioritize quality environments and first-party data signals.
Marketers are prioritizing metrics that directly tie to revenue and efficiency over traditional engagement indicators. Conversion rate leads as the top effectiveness measure (62%), followed by ROAS (47%), reach and frequency (46%), CTR (39%), and social engagements (7%).
87% of respondents view cross-channel performance metrics within programmatic platforms as critical or valuable, reinforcing the need for unified measurement to inform smarter budget allocation.
The report frames the current programmatic landscape around three pillars: Growth (driven by CTV/audio), Control (through transparency and privacy-forward tactics), and Performance (via AI optimization and outcome-focused measurement).
About Comscore
Comscore is a global, trusted partner for planning, transacting and evaluating media across platforms. With an unmatched data footprint that combines digital, linear TV, over-the-top and theatrical viewership intelligence with advanced audience insights, Comscore empowers media buyers and sellers to quantify their multiscreen behavior and make meaningful business decisions with confidence. A proven leader in measuring digital and TV audiences and advertising at scale, Comscore is the industry's emerging third-party source for reliable and comprehensive cross-platform measurement.
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