Global ad spend on internet-enabled devices to jump 14.8% to $137.53 bn

Worldwide advertising spend on internet-enabled devices such as desktops, laptops, mobile phones and tablets is expected to jump by 14.8 per cent to $137.53 billion this year, according to a study.

"That's up from about one-fifth of spending in 2012 and is set to rise to nearly one-third of the total by the end of our forecast period (2018), when advertisers around the world will invest $204.01 billion in digital," research firm eMarketer said in its study.

According to the firm, digital ad spend would make up just over one-quarter of all paid media spending globally.

Over the next several years, the total media ad spend worldwide would increase at a significantly slower pace, at around 5 per cent, it added.

According to the firm, by 2018, total media spending would touch $656.3 billion.

The US was the single biggest spender on digital ads while North America was the highest-spending region.

"Nearly two in five digital ad dollars this year will come from advertisers in North America, compared with 28.6 per cent in Asia-Pacific where share is actually dropping slightly," it said.

Nearly one-quarter of all digital spending around the world was accounted by Western Europe, while other regions accounted for only a small share, it added.

While the US was the highest spender on digital media, the UK accounted for the highest share of total media spending on digital channels, at 47.5 per cent expected this year.