Ireland’s Media Market Projected to Grow by 7.3%

Core, Ireland’s largest marketing communications company, is forecasting that the media market in the Republic of Ireland will grow by 7.3% in 2025, reaching €1,705.3 million.

2025 is set to be a positive year once again, with the overall media market growing by 7.7% last year to €1,590.0 million. With increases in advertising expected, particularly fuelled by the continued growing popularity of digital platforms and local Irish content, such as live sport. Digital’s advertising expenditure represented over 65.5% of total advertising revenue last year and is forecasted to grow by 10.5% to €1,117.3 million in 2025. Offline media spending is also anticipated to increase this year by 1.6% to €588.1 million.

The figures below are contained in Core’s annual ‘Outlook’ report which forecasts spend for 2025 across a variety of media, including Online, Video, Audio, News Media and Out-of-Home. The report also outlines some of the key developments and important issues that will impact the sector this year.

Key forecasts from Core Outlook 2025 include:

Online

• Digital advertising expenditure increased by 10.8% in 2024 reaching €1,011.1 million, representing over 65.5% of total advertising revenue
• Alphabet (Google) and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) lead, account for 80% of digital ad spending
• Despite competition from TikTok, Alphabet and Meta still remain dominant players in the market
• Social media was the fastest growing category for the second consecutive year, rising by 21.3% to €502.9 million. Video advertising followed, increasing by 17.8% to €479.2 million, driven by YouTube, Broadcaster VOD and Social VOD
• Core forecasts a 10.5% increase in the online advertising market in 2025, with a total expenditure of €1,117.2 million. Digital will account for 65% of the market while Social Media and Video will also be key drivers, with anticipated rises of 15% and 16.9% respectively
• Digital ad spent in Northern Ireland is projected to grow by 7.9% to £96.17 million (€113.6 million)

Video

Television

• 2024 proved to be a standout year for TV performance in recent times. Live and scheduled programming took centre stage, driven by major sporting events such as the Paris Olympics, Euro 2024 and the Six Nations
• Viewership grew across most demographics, with commercial impacts (advertising availability) rising from 2% to 8%, depending on the audience segment
• This led to a 3.4% increase in TV market revenue in the Republic of Ireland, reaching €254.8 million in 2024
• Core predicts a further growth in 2025, however, at a slower pace of 1.7%, bringing the total to €259.1 million
• With fewer sporting events scheduled for 2025, this could be a critical challenge this year
• Beyond major sporting events, major programming highlights for 2025 include The Traitors on RTÉ, The Last of Us Season 2 on Sky and Love Island All Stars on Virgin Media
• In Northern Ireland, linear TV expenditure declined by an estimated 2% to £77.4 million (€95.1 million) in 2024, lagging behind the UK overall, where spending grew by just over 1%
• Forecasts for 2025 indicate a modest 1% increase in Northern Ireland, bringing total linear TV spending to £78.2 million (€92.4 million)

Online Video (including Social Video)

• Online video enjoyed another strong year in 2024, with broadcasters reporting 25% increase in revenue to €39.7 million, largely driven by live sports events and popular shows such as Love Island All Stars, Celebrity Big Brother and various soap operas
• Broadcasters are expanding content access through platforms like Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) channels and YouTube, positioning the category to grow by 20% to €47.7 million.
• Advertising spend on YouTube is projected to rise by 25% to €88.5 million
• Overall, Online Video – including social media video – is forecast to grow by 16.9% to €560.2 million

Cinema

• The cinema industry continues to face challenges in the post pandemic era
• Q4 saw a large growth in admissions of 21% driven by Gladiator 2, Wicked and Moana 2
• In the Republic of Ireland, expenditure in the cinema rose by 20% to €5.5 million
• A robust 2025 release schedule including Avatar 2, Jurassic World: Dominion and Captain America is projected to sustain this growth, with forecasts indicating an 8.2% increase to €5.9 million
• Big family movies are driving most of this growth
• Spending in Northern Ireland climbed by 27.1% to £0.3 million (€0.354 million) with a 23.3% increase expected in 2025 reaching £0.37 million (€0.437 million)

Audio

• 2024 was another strong year for the industry, with radio revenue in the Republic of Ireland growing 1.36% to €157.0 million, while digital audio grew 14% to €17.9 million
• Despite the rising popularity of digital audio, particularly podcast, it still represents just 10% of overall audio revenue in 2024
• Competition in the market is set to intensify with the launch of an RTÉ app offering a comprehensive range of audio content including live radio and podcasts
• Core forecasts radio will grow by 1.7% to €159.6 million in 2025, while digital audio will grow by 12.3% to €20.1 million

News Media

• 2024 marked a historic shift in Ireland as online news consumption became the dominant source of news, surpassing traditional outlets such as TV, radio, newspapers and social media
• This demonstrates an urgent need for a digital-first approach in a news sector facing ongoing declines in both print circulation and advertising revenues
• In 2024, spending on print advertising media fell by 10.9%, reaching €68.3 million. Conversely, revenues from digital platforms grew, though exact figures remain to be confirmed
• Projections for 2025 suggest ongoing declines in print, with expenditure expected to drop by 9.5% to €61.86 million.
• Digital revenues grew by an estimated 4.8% to €30.4 million in 2024. Core forecast 2025 will increase by 3.9% to €31.6 million
• In Northern Ireland, the print market fell by approximately 11% in 2024, recording a spend of £6.3 million (€7.45 million), a decline of 8.7%
• Digital revenue increased by 5% in 2024 to an estimated £1.88 million (€2.22 million). Core predict that 2025 will increase by 3.7% to £1.95 million (€2.302 million) in Northern Ireland

Out-of-Home (OOH)

• Core estimates the OOH market grew by 15% in 2024, reaching €93.3 million, surpassing pre-Covid spends
• Retail emerged as the most active category, representing 14% of the market, up from 12%, while Food accounted for 9%
• Media brands including streaming platforms, social media companies and TV increased their investment by 33%
• Digital OOH’s market share has remained steady at approximately 40% over recent years, a figure expected to persist into 2025
• Core predicts that the OOH market will grow by 8.9% in 2025 to €101.6 million as the Retail OOH media ecosystem is expanding and more brands leverage its potential
• In Northern Ireland, the OOH market has seen significant demand growth over the past 12 months, with an estimated 9.6% year-on-year increase, bringing the market to £15.9 million (€18.8 million) for 2024
• Retail led the market with a 14% share, followed by Tourism and Travel at 10%
• Core forecasts continued growth for 2025 in the Northern Ireland OOH market, with a 6.9% increase to £17.0 million (€20.1 million)

Colm Sherwin, chief digital and Investment Officer with Core said, “Ireland’s media market is poised for strong growth in 2025, with overall expansion expected throughout the year. The rapid rise of AI continues to reshape the advertising landscape, enabling more engaging and data-driven campaigns. However, ethical and regulatory concerns around privacy and data usage present ongoing challenges, requiring advertisers to carefully balance innovation with compliance.

While fewer major global sporting events such as the FIFA Men’s World Cup, UEFA Men’s European Championships, Summer Olympics, and Rugby World Cup may reduce media consumption drivers, opportunities still remain for advertisers. The UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, despite Ireland’s absence, and the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia offer potential for huge audience engagement.

Looking ahead, Ireland’s media market is projected to grow by 7.3% in 2025, reaching €1,705.4 million. Digital and Out-of-Home media will remain key drivers, sustaining the momentum from 2024. Offline media spending is expected to rise by 1.6% to €588.1 million, while digital channels are forecast to grow by 10.5% to €1,117.3 million.”

To learn more about Core Outlook 2025, download the full report here.