Legal advertising has grown into one of the largest advertising categories in the United States, now tracked alongside pharma, auto, and insurance as a major force in media buying. For DMA-level data, see where $150 million in monthly legal advertising actually goes.
Total Market Size
The legal advertising market reached approximately $2.5 billion in 2024, spanning TV, digital, radio, and out-of-home channels. This represents a 39% increase from 2020 levels, significant growth that outpaced general inflation and many other advertising categories.
To put this in perspective: legal advertising now exceeds the combined ad spending of many consumer categories that feel heavily advertised. Pizza restaurants, for example, spent $1.1 billion, less than half of legal’s total.
Channel Breakdown
Television: Still the Volume Leader
TV accounts for the largest share of legal advertising by volume:
- 16.4 million TV ads for legal services in 2023
- 44% increase in TV ad volume versus 2017
- Approximately 45,000 legal ads per day across U.S. television
- Roughly one legal ad every two seconds
The tripling of TV spend over nearly 20 years, to approximately $1.2 billion annually, demonstrates that despite digital’s growth, television remains central to legal marketing strategy.
Digital: Fewer Ads, Higher Costs
Digital shows a counterintuitive pattern:
| Metric | 2020 to 2024 Change |
|---|---|
| Digital ad volume | Down 50%+ |
| Digital ad spend | Up 84% |
Fewer digital placements but dramatically higher spending indicates significant cost inflation in digital channels. For PI firms, this manifests as rising CPCs on Google Ads, higher CPMs on programmatic display, and increased costs for CTV/streaming inventory.
Out-of-Home: The Surge
Billboard and transit advertising has experienced explosive growth:
- 260%+ increase in legal OOH spending since 2017
- Concentrated in high-traffic metros
- Often used for local market saturation and brand building
Radio: Steady Supporting Role
Radio continues as a consistent channel for local market presence, though it doesn’t command the same budget share as TV or digital.
Growth Trajectory
The 39% spending increase from 2020 to 2024 occurred despite a slight decline in total ad volume (down approximately 4%). This divergence reveals important market dynamics:
Costs are rising faster than volume. Each ad placement has become more expensive across channels.
Competition is intensifying. More firms are bidding for the same inventory, driving up prices.
Premium channels command premiums. The shift toward CTV/streaming, high-impact digital placements, and prime TV spots increases average costs.
Mass Tort’s Impact
Mass tort litigation has become a major driver of legal advertising volume and spend:
- Mass tort advertising represents a significant subcategory of the $2.5B total
- Often funded by third-party litigation financiers and national aggregators
- Creates spikes in ad volume around specific drug/device campaigns
- Drives up costs in markets where mass tort campaigns concentrate
Insurers and policy analysts now track attorney advertising as a distinct driver of “social inflation” in claims costs, highlighting that legal advertising has real economic impact beyond marketing metrics.
What This Means for PI Firms
The market size data reveals both opportunity and challenge:
The opportunity: Legal advertising works. $2.5 billion in annual spend wouldn’t persist if it didn’t generate returns. Firms are spending because they’re signing cases.
The challenge: With 39% spending growth and only 4% volume decline, costs are rising faster than inventory. The same dollars buy less than they did in 2020.
The strategic question: In a market where everyone is spending more for less, how do you differentiate? When thousands of firms compete for the same TV spots and Google keywords, the advantage goes to firms that build recognition before the moment of need, so potential clients search for their name specifically, not just “car accident lawyer.”