Programmatic Advertising in Finland 2026 – New Survey Reveals Strong Growth Expectations
IAB Finland's survey, State and Trends of Programmatic Buying 2026, reveals strong growth expectations for programmatic advertising in Finland. Programmatic buying is expanding into new channels, while artificial intelligence has become an established part of everyday industry practices.
Programmatic buying is expanding beyond traditional display and video advertising into new channels and environments. At the same time, AI and automation are transforming the way programmatic advertising is planned, managed and optimised.
“Programmatic advertising in Finland is on the threshold of a new phase of growth. Based on the survey, confidence in its potential is strong, but growth will not happen by itself. There are many growth opportunities, but realising them requires technology, supply, skills and operating models to develop in the same direction,” says
Programmatic Advertising Continues to Grow and Expand
The importance of programmatic advertising has remained stable or increased in most respondent organisations over the past year. Display and video continue to form the foundation of programmatic buying, but audio, programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH) and connected TV (CTV) are also becoming increasingly established.
The next wave of growth is expected particularly from retail media and pDOOH. Respondents identified the versatile use of data and targeting, optimisation and algorithms, and speed and responsiveness as key benefits of programmatic advertising.
AI Has Become an Everyday Tool
Artificial intelligence emerged as the most interesting trend in programmatic advertising, selected by 33% of respondents. AI is already being used in reporting, analysis, media planning and campaign optimisation.
Looking ahead, AI agents are expected to automate more tasks, enable faster optimisation and real-time decision-making, and reshape the way programmatic buying is managed.
“It will be interesting to see how AI and growing automation affect programmatic buying. Time will tell whether the complex becomes simpler. If it does, the focus will shift from technical challenges to commercial choices. Then the benefits of programmatic in algorithmic optimisation, data, control and speed will play an even bigger role,” says
New Opportunities Require New Capabilities
According to the survey, the expansion of programmatic buying into new channels is held back particularly by internal organisational processes (37%), system capabilities (35%) and the ease of direct buying (32%). Developing skills and demonstrating the added value of programmatic buying also remain important challenges.
The findings suggest that future growth will depend not only on technological developments but also on how quickly organisations can adapt their processes and ways of working.
Another significant development is the liberalisation of gambling advertising in Finland, taking effect on 1 July 2027. Respondents expect the market opening to bring new advertisers, increase demand for advertising inventory and potentially drive up CPM prices. At the same time, regulation, licensing practices and responsible advertising requirements will play an important role in shaping the market's development.
The full report provides insights into the current state of programmatic buying in Finland, including the adoption of new channels, key benefits and challenges, AI, retail media, measurement and future market developments.
State and Trends of Programmatic Buying 2026 survey received responses from 98 industry professionals representing advertisers, agencies, publishers and technology providers. The online survey was conducted through IAB Finland's channels between June and September 2026. The study was designed and reported by IAB Finland's Programmatic Advertising Working Group. As the sample was not weighted to represent the Finnish business landscape, the results should be considered indicative.