UK publishers saw digital revenues increase once again in 2015, with £416.2m spent overall, up 5.2 per cent year-on-year, according to new figures from the Association of Online Publishers (AOP) and Deloitte.

While display advertising remains the largest single revenue category, accounting for 46 per cent of all revenue, online video and mobile were two of the largest drivers for growth, with increases of 27 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.

Digital display advertising actually saw a slow but steady decline throughout 2015, while mobile now accounts from over 10 per cent of total revenue, thanks largely to increases in smartphone display advertising and larger screen smartphones.

“Sustained growth over a seven year period demonstrates how online publishers have continued to adapt to a rapidly changing online environment,” said Richard Reeves, managing director at AOP. “This can be seen from the rise of video ad formats in 2015. In addition, the sharp increase in sponsorship revenue demonstrates publishers desire to introduce more dynamic and meaningful formats, in response to advertiser demands.”

“New third party distribution platforms, as well as the emergence of mobile ad-blockers, were just some of the challenges faced by online publishers in 2015,” said Howard Davies, media partner at Deloitte. “Yet, on average, mobile device revenues demonstrated double-digit growth each month throughout 2015.

“This is a clear indication that the UKs online publishers are adjusting their business models in order to develop mobile-optimised content.”