As the advertising landscape braces for potential regulatory shifts under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s HHS leadership, our CTV team worked with Mike Shields from NextinMedia to deep dive into what a pharmaceutical advertising ban could mean for the industry.
Key Findings Worth Your Attention
The numbers tell a compelling story: pharmaceutical companies spent nearly $8 billion on advertising through October 2024, with over $5.3 billion directed to television. This represents 10-12% of total TV ad spending, which would create significant disruption if suddenly removed.
Perhaps most intriguing is the regulatory distinction highlighted in the report that while traditional broadcast stations face strict federal oversight, CTV and digital delivery systems may be exempt from potential ad restrictions. As Dave Morgan, CEO of Simulmedia notes, a ban “cannot be applied to CTV and ads delivered digitally.”
This potential carve-out could dramatically accelerate the migration to streaming platforms while creating new opportunities for innovative ad formats that deliver health information through more educational, contextual approaches.
Preparing Your Strategy
While Chelsea Glincman of TripleLift rightly points out that regulatory changes would “likely take several years to work through the courts,” forward-thinking advertisers should begin strategic planning now.
Click here for access to the report.
