Online ad spending by the US media and entertainment industries will rise from $2.77 billion in 2012 to $4.34 billion by 2016, according to a new eMarketer report, “The US Media & Entertainment Industries: Digital Ad Spending Forecasts and Key Trends.” “As more consumers turn to the internet for news and entertainment, advertisers are using digital campaigns to raise awareness, generate buzz and encourage online sales.”

eMarketer’s ad spending forecast combines media and entertainment because “the line between media companies and entertainment companies is becoming increasingly blurry.” The same corporate conglomerates often own the media that produce entertainment content. Additionally, these organizations are able to use their own delivery channels to advertise and cross-promote their products.

However, there are some important differences between media and entertainment when it comes to digital ad spending trends. While aggregate spending will increase over the forecast period, spending in the entertainment sector will actually decline this year, and flat spending by hard-pressed traditional media outlets will contribute to lower-than-average growth for entertainment and only average growth for media through 2016.