Digiday survey shows 32% of agencies report higher client media budgets in 2026
Digiday’s 2026 media agency report found that 32% of surveyed agency professionals said client media budgets increased in 2026, while 36% said budgets stayed the same and 18% reported a decrease. The report is based on a survey of 30 agency professionals conducted in the third quarter of 2026 and includes insights from a focus group of five senior executives at Go Fish Digital, Horizon Media, Novus, Tinuiti, and UM.
Focus group participants said clients are holding back their dollars in the May 2026 upfronts to retain flexibility to shift ad spend across channels as business conditions change. Sarah Duffy of Horizon Media noted that spend volatility can shift daily, weekly, or monthly, making flexible upfront commitments a growing area among their client roster. Looking ahead, 39% of respondents expect client media budgets to remain the same in 2027, another 39% anticipate an increase, and 21% foresee a decrease.
“We have seen more clients looking for flexibility and holding back their dollars in the upfront,” Marcy Greenberger, chief investment officer at UM said.
“The volatility of spend probably changes daily, weekly, monthly, based on how businesses are doing, but having that flexibility with your upfront commitments … is certainly an area in which we’ve seen growth amongst our client roster,” Sarah Duffy, svp, integrated investment at Horizon Media said.
In 2025, tariffs and inflation negatively affected client spending, creating a turbulent environment for media agencies. Digiday’s 2026 media agency report examines how agencies and their clients are adapting to shifts in media spending, channel investment, creator partnerships, and the evolving role of AI.
What we know
36% of respondents said client media budgets remained the same in 2026.
32% of respondents said client media budgets increased in 2026.
18% of respondents said client media budgets decreased in 2026.
Digiday+ Research collected responses from 30 agency professionals in a survey fielded in third-quarter 2026.
Clients were unwilling to commit dollars during the May 2026 upfronts.