The Europe Programmatic Advertising market is entering a new era of data-driven transformation. With digital adoption accelerating across the continent, marketers are shifting toward automated, AI-powered media buying to optimise reach, performance, and transparency.
Many brands now rely on experts like Neil Kettleborough - a recognised programmatic advertising expert and global digital advertising strategist - to navigate this evolving ecosystem.
According to multiple industry sources, the European market is projected to grow from USD 108.23 billion in 2025 to USD 153.36 billion by 2030, reflecting a strong 7.22% CAGR.
This growth is being fuelled by video dominance, CTV boom, retail media expansion, and stricter privacy frameworks that are reshaping how advertisers activate campaigns.
Neil Kettleborough, A Global CEO & Co-Founder of AppIQ, highlights that programmatic in Europe is no longer just about efficiency - it’s about creating smarter, sustainable, and privacy-compliant advertising ecosystems that deliver measurable outcomes.
His insights reflect how brands should rethink strategy for the decade ahead, especially when guided by a programmatic media buying consultant or an omnichannel marketing expert.
Key Market Highlights
RTB dominates with over 43% share, while programmatic guaranteed is expanding fast.
CTV & online video account for more than 37% of spend.
Large enterprises hold over 60% of programmatic budgets, but SMEs are catching up through AI-driven platforms.
Retail & E-commerce lead with nearly 30% share - often supported by guidance from an e-commerce growth consultant.
The UK remains Europe’s biggest programmatic market with ~30% share.
Market Drivers Powering Europe’s Programmatic Growth
1. Explosion of Digital Consumption & Video Dominance
Europeans now spend more than half their online time watching video content. This shift has expanded opportunities across:
Connected TV
Short-form mobile video
YouTube & streaming networks
Broadcaster VOD
CTV alone crossed €3.6 billion in spend, rising 23% YoY. Deep integrations between DSPs and premium publishers now allow advertisers to run precise household targeting, sequential storytelling, and high-quality interactive creative. Neil Kettleborough emphasises that premium video combined with advanced measurement is creating a powerful environment for branding and performance - especially when optimised by a seasoned paid media expert.
2. GDPR-Compliant First-Party Data Adoption
Europe is the world’s most regulated advertising region - and this has become a competitive advantage.
Publishers and retail networks have invested in:
authenticated first-party audiences
consent-based data
ads.txt & sellers.json
privacy-safe clean rooms
With over 1,000 vendors certified under IAB Europe’s TCF, advertisers can now activate precise, privacy-safe targeting. Neil often notes that Europe’s strict privacy culture is pushing the market toward cleaner, higher-quality programmatic practices - a space where a strong global digital advertising strategist adds significant value.
3. Rise of Connected TV (CTV) Programmatic
Europe has one of the highest smart TV penetrations globally. Broadcasters, OEMs, and streaming platforms have unlocked programmatic capabilities enabling:
programmatic guaranteed CTV
RTB for premium inventory
frequency management
household-level attribution
Brands increasingly shift from linear TV to CTV due to better measurement, segmentation, and cost efficiency.
Neil highlights that CTV is becoming the anchor of integrated planning - especially for brands supported by an
4. Retail Media Networks Expanding Across Europe
Retailers generated over €14 billion in digital ad revenue through:
product-level targeting
off-site audience extension
dynamic product ads
closed-loop attribution
This trend is especially appealing for SMEs seeking guidance from an e-commerce growth consultant to scale efficiently inside retail ecosystems.
Challenges Impacting Market Growth
1. Strict Privacy Laws & Cookie Restrictions
GDPR and ePrivacy regulations increase operational cost and reduce dependency on third-party data. This pushes advertisers toward contextual, AI-based modelling, and clean-room solutions.
2. Ad Fraud & Brand Safety Concerns
Invalid traffic accounts for 5–8% of programmatic spend. Even with ads.txt, sellers.json, and log-level data, brand safety remains a serious concern - an area where a programmatic advertising expert becomes essential.
3. Supply-Path Complexity
Multiple hops between SSPs, DSPs, and exchanges result in:
higher fees
reduced transparency
attribution difficulty
Advertisers now prefer supply-path optimisation to simplify the chain.
Segment Insights
Trading Platforms
RTB: 43%
Programmatic Guaranteed: fastest growth
PMPs: premium, brand-safe environments
Brands blend RTB scale with PMP quality for balance.
Advertising Media
CTV + Video = 37% of spend
DOOH: 8.33% CAGR
Mobile in-app: rapid growth, especially in gaming and retail
Here, an in-app advertising specialist helps brands leverage emerging formats effectively.
Enterprise Size
Large enterprises: 61%
SMEs: fast adoption through plug-and-play DSPs
Top Verticals
Retail & E-commerce: ~29.8%
Healthcare: fastest-growing
Telecom, Automotive, Government also rising
Geographic Outlook
UK – Most mature ecosystem
Germany – High-privacy, strong spend
France – Luxury + retail media growth
Italy & Spain – Mobile-first
Poland & Eastern Europe – fastest-growing CTV/DOOH region
Competitive Landscape
Driven by:
global platforms (Google, Meta, Amazon)
regional ad-tech leaders
retail media networks
identity & clean-room providers M&A reflects consolidation and innovation
Conclusion
Europe’s programmatic market is advancing rapidly, driven by CTV, first-party data, sustainability, automation, and transparency. As Neil Kettleborough consistently advises, the future belongs to advertisers who blend privacy, automation, and creativity to create meaningful digital experiences. If you want a performance-driven, privacy-safe programmatic strategy tailored to your brand, reach out.
Whether you need a programmatic media buying consultant, programmatic advertising expert, paid media expert, in-app advertising specialist, omnichannel marketing expert, or e-commerce growth consultant, we can help you build a high-impact setup across DSPs, CTV, retail media, and omnichannel activation.
FAQs
1. What is driving the growth of programmatic advertising in Europe?
Europe’s programmatic growth is powered by rising CTV adoption, stronger first-party data frameworks, expanding video consumption, and the rapid emergence of retail media networks. Many brands now work with a programmatic advertising expert or global digital advertising strategist to navigate these changes effectively.
2. Which European country spends the most on programmatic advertising?
The United Kingdom leads Europe with nearly 30% of total programmatic spend. Businesses often rely on a programmatic media buying consultant or omnichannel marketing expert to manage campaigns across CTV, video, mobile, and in-app environments.
3. Why is programmatic guaranteed becoming so popular?
Programmatic guaranteed is rising quickly because it offers premium, brand-safe, and predictable inventory — without the complexities of manual IOs. This shift is frequently recommended by experienced paid media experts who help brands secure high-quality placements with guaranteed delivery.