Healthcare Marketers Trend Report 2026: Digital Ad Spend Overtakes Linear TV

Bypaulgruensfelder
MM+M May 12, 2026
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AI-Generated Summary

Healthcare digital advertising spend officially exceeds linear TV for the first time in 2026, per the MM+M/Inmar Healthcare Marketers Trend Report. The overall market has grown to an estimated $26.52 billion, with digital video and display leading at a projected 70% year-over-year budget increase, connected TV at 60%, and AI-integrated media at 50%. Despite the digital surge, HCP-targeted channels like display and social are declining as marketers shift toward brand websites and marketing research tools. Real-time AI-driven dashboards are replacing traditional six-month marketing mix models. The field force is also expanding, with sales rep deployment showing a 50% net increase. Agencies are repositioning as omnichannel orchestration partners, bridging siloed internal stakeholders across budget, creative, and data functions.

Why It Matters

Digital now dominates healthcare media spend—but budget allocation is only half the battle. Multi-site operators and PE-backed groups without real-time attribution infrastructure and omnichannel orchestration capabilities are already losing competitive ground; the brands building that infrastructure now will have a compounding advantage by 2028.

healthcare marketing digital advertising programmatic media connected tv omnichannel orchestration hcp marketing marketing mix modeling healthcare media spend

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