PI Lawyer Marketing 2026: Ad Spending
$2.5B in PI advertising. 210+ markets analyzed. Broadcast still dominates but digital grew 84%. Where competitors spend, and where they're not.
Legal services advertisers spent more than $2.5 billion on 26.9 million ads in 2024. Personal injury and mass tort firms are the heaviest buyers.
Most of that money still goes to broadcast TV. That’s starting to change, and the data shows exactly where.
The National Picture
Morgan & Morgan, the largest PI firm in the country, spent $110.7 million on spot TV alone in 2024. That’s more than five times the next largest spender, Thomas J. Henry, at $21.5 million. Morgan & Morgan’s total marketing budget sits around $350 million annually, spread across TV, billboards, and digital.
From 2020 to 2024, total legal advertising spend increased 39%. But here’s what’s interesting: digital ad spend grew 84% while digital ad volume dropped by more than half.
That means legal advertisers are paying more per placement. They’re moving out of cheap display into premium formats: online video, streaming, CTV.
The money is following attention. The question is whether your firm is following the money.
The Top 10 Legal Advertisers (2024)
| Rank | Firm | Spot TV Spend | Primary Markets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morgan & Morgan | $110.7M | National |
| 2 | Thomas J. Henry | $21.5M | Texas |
| 3 | Jim Adler | $19.8M | Texas |
| 4 | Alexander Shunnarah | $18.2M | Southeast |
| 5 | Morris Bart | $16.9M | Gulf Coast |
| 6 | Sokolove Law | $15.4M | National (mass tort) |
| 7 | Parker Waichman | $12.1M | National (mass tort) |
| 8 | The Barnes Firm | $11.8M | CA, NY |
| 9 | Cellino Law | $10.2M | NY, FL |
| 10 | Richard Harris Law | $9.7M | Nevada |
The concentration is striking. The top 10 firms account for over $245 million in spot TV alone, nearly 10% of total legal advertising spend.
What We’re Seeing Across 210+ Markets
We track competitive data across every U.S. DMA. What we found: over $200 million in monthly legal ad spend, 63% still going to broadcast, and the fastest-growing markets have the lowest CTV adoption.
Aggregate channel split:
- Broadcast: 63%
- Cable: 15%
- CTV: 22%
That 22% CTV figure is an average. Some markets are at 33%. Others are at 18%. The variation tells the real story.
Top 10 Markets by Monthly Spend
| Market | Monthly Spend | YoY Growth | Top Spender | Their Share | CTV % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $10,214,393 | +9.2% | Morgan & Morgan | 12.4% | 24% |
| Atlanta | $5,899,614 | +3.5% | Morgan & Morgan | 16.0% | 21% |
| Tampa | $5,548,327 | +8.8% | Morgan & Morgan | 24.0% | 20% |
| Las Vegas | $4,505,138 | +6.9% | Morgan & Morgan | 13.2% | 33% |
| Washington DC | $4,271,711 | +15.3% | Morgan & Morgan | 13.5% | 22% |
| Indianapolis | $3,474,259 | +14.4% | Morgan & Morgan | 18.6% | 19% |
| St. Louis | $3,254,669 | +5.3% | Morgan & Morgan | 19.4% | 20% |
| New Orleans | $3,057,312 | +5.9% | Morris Bart | 18.7% | 19% |
| Savannah | $2,924,925 | +23.0% | Morgan & Morgan | 26.3% | 18% |
| Seattle | $2,619,198 | +20.2% | Dubin Law Group | 8.1% | 27% |
The pattern is consistent: Morgan & Morgan dominates broadcast in most markets, regional players control their territories, and CTV remains underutilized relative to viewing habits.
Mid-Size Markets Worth Watching
| Market | Monthly Spend | YoY Growth | Top Spender | CTV % | Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio | $2,531,728 | +19.1% | Thomas J. Henry | 22% | Growing fast, dominated |
| Birmingham | $2,030,091 | +18.9% | Morgan & Morgan | 19% | Morgan vs Wettermark battle |
| Little Rock | $2,611,643 | +15.8% | Morgan & Morgan | 18% | CTV wide open |
| Jackson MS | $2,346,585 | +12.3% | Morgan & Morgan | 18% | 38% Morgan broadcast share |
| Spokane | $1,011,234 | +20.3% | Craig Swapp | 25% | Three-way race |
Mid-size markets are where the action is. Lower barriers to entry, faster growth, and often the weakest CTV adoption.
The Fastest-Growing Markets
- Savannah, GA: +23.0%
- Spokane, WA: +20.3%
- Seattle, WA: +20.2%
- Columbus-Tupelo, MS: +19.3%
- San Antonio, TX: +19.1%
- Birmingham, AL: +18.9%
- Little Rock, AR: +15.8%
- Washington DC: +15.3%
- Hartford, CT: +14.7%
- Indianapolis, IN: +14.4%
Here’s the insight: the fastest-growing markets have some of the lowest CTV adoption. Savannah is up 23% year-over-year but only 18% of spend goes to streaming. The broadcast battlefield is getting more expensive while CTV remains wide open.
Why Growth Markets Matter
When a market grows 15-20%+ year-over-year, it signals:
- More firms are entering. New competitors, higher CPMs.
- Budgets are increasing. Incumbents spending more to defend.
- Broadcast is saturating. Premium dayparts getting crowded.
- Opportunity is shifting. Streaming audiences remain underserved.
The firms figuring this out now are building presence before CTV costs rise.
CTV Adoption: The Market-by-Market Gap
High CTV Markets (25%+)
| Market | CTV % | Monthly Spend | Key Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas | 33% | $4,505,138 | YouTube App outspends NBC and ABC combined |
| Seattle | 27% | $2,619,198 | Tech-forward, fragmented competition |
| Spokane | 25% | $1,011,234 | Fast-growing, early adopters winning |
| Charlotte | 24% | $1,887,543 | Fragmented, no dominant player |
| Los Angeles | 24% | $10,214,393 | Largest market, streaming essential |
In Las Vegas, two firms (Dimopoulos and Golightly) run 100% CTV while competitors remain broadcast-heavy. They’re reaching households that broadcast can’t touch.
Low CTV Markets (18% or less)
| Market | CTV % | Monthly Spend | Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah | 18% | $2,924,925 | Hottest growth, streaming wide open |
| Jackson | 18% | $2,346,585 | Morgan controls 38% of broadcast |
| Little Rock | 18% | $2,611,643 | Morgan dominates at 29.5% |
| Columbus-Tupelo | 18% | $1,550,157 | Richard Schwartz dominates broadcast |
| Biloxi | 18% | $867,617 | Morris Bart owns 36% of broadcast |
In markets where one firm dominates broadcast, CTV advertising for personal injury lawyers offers a different battlefield. You’re not competing for the same inventory. You’re reaching households they’re missing entirely.
The Correlation Pattern
We analyzed the relationship between market growth and CTV adoption:
| Growth Tier | Average CTV % | Average Broadcast % |
|---|---|---|
| +15% or higher | 20.1% | 66.2% |
| +10% to +15% | 21.8% | 64.1% |
| +5% to +10% | 23.2% | 61.4% |
| Under +5% | 24.7% | 59.3% |
The pattern is clear: The fastest-growing markets have the most broadcast concentration and the lowest CTV adoption. This creates a window. Broadcast is getting expensive and crowded while streaming remains accessible.
What’s Changing in 2026
The industry data points one direction:
For adults under 50, streaming is the majority of TV consumption.
Legal vertical CTV adoption lags other industries by 2-3 years.
Option A
Option B
The firms still running 70%+ broadcast are paying more to reach fewer people. The economics are inverting.
How to Position Your Firm
Traditional TV is a blunt instrument. You buy a daypart, you hope your audience is watching.
CTV changes the math:
- Household-level targeting: demographics, behavior, geography, life events
- Premium networks: Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+, and 150+ others
- Non-skippable, 100% completion. Your full message, every time.
- Attribution: impressions to website visits to intake calls to signed cases
By Firm Size: Where to Start
Small firms ($10-25K/month budget):
- Focus: Single market CTV dominance
- Approach: Narrow targeting, high frequency in one DMA
- Timeline: 90 days to establish presence
- Key metric: Cost per consultation
Mid-size firms ($25-75K/month budget):
- Focus: Multi-market or hybrid approach
- Approach: CTV primary, selective broadcast for reach
- Timeline: 6 months to optimize mix
- Key metric: Cost per signed case
Large firms ($75K+/month budget):
- Focus: Market dominance across channels
- Approach: CTV for targeting, broadcast for mass awareness
- Timeline: Ongoing optimization
- Key metric: Market share, aided awareness
By Market Position
Market leader defending share:
- Maintain broadcast presence for mass awareness
- Add CTV to capture cord-cutters
- Use targeting to protect high-value segments
- Monitor competitor CTV adoption
Challenger attacking leader:
- Lead with CTV for efficiency
- Target segments leader is missing
- Build presence before competing on broadcast
- Use attribution to prove ROI
New entrant building presence:
- Start CTV-only for measurable results
- Prove model before adding channels
- Focus on underserved households
- Build brand before scaling spend
The Morgan & Morgan Factor
Morgan & Morgan’s $350 million strategy shapes every market they enter. Understanding their playbook helps you compete.
Where Morgan Dominates
| Market | Morgan Share | Their Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson MS | 38.0% | Broadcast saturation |
| Little Rock | 29.5% | Volume overwhelming local |
| Savannah | 26.3% | Aggressive growth market |
| Tampa | 24.0% | Home market dominance |
| Birmingham | 21.5% | Southeast expansion |
In these markets, you don’t beat Morgan on broadcast. The math doesn’t work.
The Counter-Strategy
Morgan’s weakness is their strength. They’re broadcast-dependent. Their strategy requires mass reach, which creates exploitable gaps:
Your CTV Opportunity
- + Household-level targeting precision
- + Reach the cord-cutting audience they miss
- + Precise attribution and ROI measurement
- + Flexible spend, adjust based on results
Morgan's Broadcast Limitations
- − They can't target narrowly, mass reach model
- − They miss cord-cutters entirely
- − Their ROI is modeled, not measured
- − They're locked into broadcast commitments
For smaller firms, CTV offers the households Morgan is missing. In Jackson (38% Morgan broadcast share), 18% CTV adoption means the streaming audience is almost untouched.
The Seattle Anomaly
Seattle represents something different. Unlike most markets, no firm dominates:
| Firm | Share |
|---|---|
| Dubin Law Group | 8.1% |
| Schroeter Goldmark & Bender | 6.9% |
| Bernard Law Group | 6.2% |
| Stritmatter Law | 5.8% |
| Davis Law Group | 5.4% |
The top five firms combined control less than 33% of the market. Compare that to Jackson where Morgan alone controls 38%.
What Seattle shows:
- Fragmented markets have lower barriers to entry
- CTV adoption (27%) is higher where no one dominates broadcast
- Opportunity exists for firms willing to invest strategically
- Tech-forward demographics respond to streaming advertising
Channel Mix Recommendations
The 2026 Starting Point
For most PI firms, the optimal mix is shifting:
| Channel | 2024 Typical | 2026 Recommended | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcast | 65% | 40-50% | Maintain reach, reduce waste |
| Cable | 15% | 10% | Declining viewership |
| CTV | 20% | 35-45% | Growing audience, better targeting |
| Digital Video | - | 5-10% | Retargeting, supplement |
Market-Specific Adjustments
High CTV markets (Las Vegas, Seattle, Charlotte):
- Push CTV to 50%+ of TV budget
- Broadcast for live sports and news only
- Test reduced broadcast to measure impact
Low CTV markets (Jackson, Savannah, Little Rock):
- CTV offers first-mover advantage
- 30-40% CTV captures underserved audience
- Monitor competitor moves
High-growth markets (+15%/year):
- Accelerate CTV adoption
- Broadcast getting expensive, crowded
- Establish streaming presence before costs rise
Attribution: The Measurement Gap
What Broadcast Tells You
- Estimated ratings (how many might have seen it)
- Gross impressions (duplicated, estimated)
- Correlated lift (leads went up after TV ran)
What CTV Tells You
- Exact impressions (verified delivery)
- Unique household reach (deduplicated)
- Verified website visits (which households saw your ad and visited)
- Conversion tracking (forms, calls, intake)
- Cost per outcome (real ROI calculation)
The difference isn’t incremental. It’s categorical. Broadcast measurement is statistics. CTV measurement is data.
For firms serious about ROI, CTV provides accountability broadcast can’t match.
Production Considerations
What Works on CTV
CTV is TV. Your commercial needs broadcast-quality production:
- Professional production. Not DIY or UGC.
- Clear audio. Living room viewing, sound on.
- Strong opening. First 5 seconds matter.
- Visible phone/URL. Make the CTA clear.
- 15-30 second format. Matching standard slots.
Need help with creative production for CTV? We handle everything from script to final cut.
What Doesn’t Work
- Repurposed social video (wrong format, wrong feel)
- Amateur production (undermines credibility)
- Weak audio (CTV is sound-on viewing)
- Missing CTA (wasted awareness)
See Your Market
We publish market-by-market breakdowns showing spend, growth, channel mix, and top advertisers for every DMA we track.
Featured markets:
- Las Vegas: 33% CTV, YouTube App outspends NBC and ABC combined
- Savannah: +23% growth, CTV wide open
- Seattle: Fragmented, no dominant player
- Full market intelligence
Want to see what your competitors are spending, and where the opportunity is?
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should a PI firm spend on marketing?
Most successful PI firms spend 7-15% of gross revenue on marketing. For a firm generating $5 million annually, that’s $350K-$750K in marketing budget. TV advertising (broadcast + CTV) typically represents 40-60% of total marketing spend for brand-focused firms.
Is CTV more expensive than broadcast?
CTV has higher nominal CPMs ($30-50 vs $15-40 for broadcast). However, CTV’s precise targeting means less waste. When you calculate cost to reach your actual target audience, CTV often delivers lower effective CPMs.
How long does it take to see results from CTV?
Most campaigns show measurable impact within 60-90 days. Brand awareness builds cumulatively. Expect 6+ months for full market impact. Attribution data provides leading indicators much faster.
Can small firms compete with Morgan & Morgan?
Not on broadcast volume. But CTV offers a different battlefield. In markets where Morgan controls 25-38% of broadcast, the streaming audience remains largely untapped. Small firms can build meaningful presence in households Morgan isn’t reaching.
What’s the minimum budget for CTV?
Most managed CTV campaigns require $15-25K/month minimum in media spend. This delivers meaningful frequency in mid-size markets. Larger markets or faster scaling require higher budgets.
References
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ATRA & X Ante. “Legal Services Advertising in the United States – 2020–2024.” March 2025. https://atra.org/white-paper-and-repo/legal-services-ads-2020-2024/
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Triple-I. “Legal System Abuse and Attorney Advertising for Mass Litigation: State of the Risk.” May 2025. https://www.iii.org/sites/default/files/docs/pdf/triple-i_state_of_the_risk_legal_system_abuse_05292025.pdf
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Forbes. “Meet John Morgan, The Billionaire Lawyer Behind $350 Million A Year in Ads.” December 2024. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brandonkochkodin/2024/12/05/john-morgan-personal-injury-lawyers-billionaire/
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ATRA. “Legal Services Advertising Report – 2017–2024.” March 2025. https://www.atra.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Legal-Services-Advertising-Report-%E2%80%93-2017-2024.pdf
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Nielsen. Annual Marketing Report. 2025.
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MNTN Research / eMarketer. “CTV Ad Spend Projections.” 2025. https://research.mountain.com/trends/ctv-ad-spend-will-grow-to-46-89-billion-by-2028/
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IAB. “2025 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Report.” April 2025. https://www.iab.com/news/ctv-rebounds-to-double-digit-growth-in-2024/
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Taqtics Market Intelligence. Proprietary analysis, 210+ DMAs, September-December 2025.
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