The internet in Britain has overtaken television for the first time as the biggest medium for advertising.
Online advertisers expect it will be a few years before the same happens in New Zealand.
But online advertising is already expected to make a big dent in the market share of other mediums this year.
A survey of spending by advertisers found Britain to be the first major economy where the internet has drawn more advertising revenue than TV.
The Internet Advertising Bureau in London says the internet is the most accountable medium in tough times.
While television remains the place for major branding advertising, thre bureau says videos via broadband are also making the internet more effective.
TVNZ has been trying to take advantage of extra income available from digital media in the last year.
Chief executive Rick Ellis says the opportunities it offers are growing.
The New Zealand Interactive Advertising Bureau says spending on online advertising will overtake television in New Zealand one day, but it's a few years away yet.
$193 million p/a already
Chairperson Kevin Bowler says $2.3 billion was spent on all forms of advertising in New Zealand last year and that's expected to have shrunk considerably in 2009 because of the recession.
Statistics for this year's advertising spending won't be released until early 2010.
But Mr Bowler expects online advertising's share to jump from $193 million last year to more than $200 million this year.
He says search advertising and online displays are proving the strongest performers in the online market.
