U.K. TV and newspaper advertising revenues "declined last summer during the period including the London Olympics, while outdoor advertising was significantly boosted," according to Mark Sweney of the London GUARDIAN. The outdoor advertising sector -- including billboards, posters, taxis, buses -- was the "big Olympic winner." Outdoor advertisers reported an increase in revenues of 25.4% year-on-year in the three months ending in September. TV ad spending fell 7.2% year-on-year over the summer period, more than £200M ($321M) "less than brands spent in the second quarter." Total U.K. press advertising revenues -- including national and regional papers and magazines -- fell 9.6% year-on-year in the third quarter of '12. However, this was "marginally better" than the second quarter fall of 11.7% and the first quarter drop of 10%. Brands "pumped money into TV advertising during Euro 2012 in the second quarter," most notably ITV, but "pulled hundreds of millions of spend over the London Olympics as viewers flocked to the ad-free BBC." The £200M-plus fall in TV ad spending "was the biggest factor in total U.K. ad spend growth being limited" to just 0.8% growth in the third quarter of '12. The figures were published on Wednesday by the Advertising Association and research company Warc (GUARDIAN, 1/16).
