After overcoming major crises, such as the pandemic and the military conflict in Ukraine, the advertising market in the Republic of Moldova continued to grow in the first half of 2025. However, the optimistic outlook is tempered by certain risks that may affect the sector’s development in the coming period, according to the study “The media market in the Republic of Moldova: realities and trends in 2025”, released by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) on July 23, 2025.
According to the study, the advertising market in the Republic of Moldova continued to grow in early 2025, maintaining the upward trend of recent years after overcoming the crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the start of the war in Ukraine. In 2024, the sector recorded a 17% increase. However, certain factors could negatively affect market developments in 2025.
DECLINING EXTERNAL SUPPORT
One of the most significant changes with a potentially negative impact is the cessation of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in the Republic of Moldova. The study notes that this factor will reduce the prospects for external support, with negative effects estimated for 2025 and 2026.
TELEVISION LOSING GROUND TO DIGITAL PLATFORMS
The authors of the study point out that traditional television is facing declining audiences, reduced advertising demand, and rising production costs. At the same time, digital platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook are attracting more and more advertising budgets through targeted marketing solutions. “These platforms operate without the legal obligations of television, creating unfair competition and affecting the economic sustainability of television,” the study says.
DISCREPANCY BETWEEN DOMESTIC INVESTMENTS AND ACTUAL BUDGETS
The study highlights a significant gap between official estimates and actual advertising expenditure. Although the market was estimated at €26.27 million in 2024, the total value of budgets actually allocated to Moldovan users (including through international platforms) exceeds €91 million.
ONLINE BUDGETS GO MAINLY TO INTERNATIONAL GIANTS
According to the data, the online market in the Republic of Moldova is constantly growing, but 65-70% of the money in this market goes to foreign platforms that have ways of targeting the online audience in Moldova, in particular Alphabet (Google) and Meta (Facebook). Only 5% of online advertising is placed directly on local or regional platforms. According to the same study, approximately €20 million is spent annually on Facebook advertising in Moldova, mainly by dental clinics, gambling/gaming companies, online retailers, and construction material suppliers.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE THREATENS THE GOOGLE MODEL AND MEDIA REVENUES
Another factor directly influencing the advertising market is the increasing use of artificial intelligence-based search functions, which is leading to a decline in Google’s market share. Analysis indicates that Google’s business model will collapse as website traffic declines, which will affect the revenues of newsrooms and agencies that work with this traffic. With the decline in clicks on search engines (SEO), the coming years will see increased research and interest in GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation), which will influence how platforms create content and how users find it.
“While large international media institutions negotiate with AI companies, small ones risk losing visibility and revenue, and with about 40% of all online news site traffic coming from Google, online media institutions in Moldova will have to quickly shift to other search tools,” the authors indicate.
The study on the realities and trends of the media market in the Republic of Moldova in 2025 provides an overview of the evolution of the media sector this year. A similar study was conducted by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) in 2021 and published in 2022. The research is based on open and publicly available data, which, although it has become more abundant in recent years, remains insufficient to paint a complete and detailed picture of the current state of the media sector, the authors warn.