In a new Leading Local Insights episode tied to BIA’s 2026 Trends Report, the firm points to a $182 billion local advertising opportunity and argues that fragmentation, measurement expectations, and inventory pressure from politics and major events will reshape how local media is packaged and sold. BIA forecasts local CTV advertising at roughly $3.6 billion in 2026, excluding political, up about 10% from an estimated $3.3 billion in 2025. More important for sellers building cross-platform plans, BIA Managing Director Rick Ducey says CTV’s share of local TV-set spending climbs from under 14% in 2024 to nearly 19% in 2026. In BIA’s framing, the opportunity for local sellers is not choosing between linear and streaming. BIA Vice President of Forecasting Senan Mele says 2026 political advertising will be intense but unevenly distributed, concentrated in competitive markets.