Analysis of millions in spend and 1,500 advertiser surveys reveals surging performance, revenue, and rebooking intent heading into 2026
New York, NY — January 22, 2026— Paved, the leading newsletter advertising platform, today released its 2026 Newsletter Ad Performance Report. The report illustrates how newsletter advertising entered a new phase of growth as brands shift budgets toward high-engagement, first-party channels.
“Newsletter advertising is one of the few channels outside the walled gardens where performance maps cleanly back to outcomes,” said John McLaughlin, CEO & Founder of Paved. “That accountability, combined with macroeconomic pressures pushing marketers to scrutinize every dollar, has accelerated newsletters’ shift from an experimental channel to a core part of the media mix.”
Key Growth Metrics Signal Industry-Wide Momentum
Analyzing millions of dollars in newsletter ad spend across thousands of campaigns and verticals, Paved found strong year-over-year growth in publisher revenue, advertiser demand, audience reach, and repeat spend. Key growth findings include:
- Newsletter publishers earned 30% more revenue YoY, driven by increased advertiser demand and stronger outcomes.
- Marketers ran 40% more newsletter ad campaigns, reflecting increased adoption and sustained brand investment in the channel.
- Advertisers reached an 80% larger subscriber pool compared to the prior year as the Paved Marketplace expanded.
- Unique users across the Paved Ad Network grew 84% YoY, delivering billions of native email ad impressions.
- Advertiser rebooking intent increased 53% YoY, signaling confidence, predictability, and long-term budget commitment.
What Top-Performing Newsletter Ads Have in Common
Paved also surveyed 1,500+ advertisers to understand why brands are putting more budget into newsletter ads, and what actually performs. The data shows the best results come from ads that:
- Keep it short and scannable. Attention spans are shorter than ever, so skimmable ad copy outperforms, especially with bullet points, bolding, and clear links.
- Lead with value. Top-rated newsletter ads make the benefit obvious in the first line to drive higher ROI.
- Blend natively into the newsletter. Ads that match the editorial style outperform flashy or disruptive formats.
Together, the findings underscore newsletters’ core advantage: highly engaged, first-party audiences in brand-safe environments that deliver measurable performance. Industry adoption is accelerating, with 64% of marketers now using newsletter ads—up 25% year over year—making newsletters one of the fastest-growing digital ad channels.
At the center of that growth is Paved, which reaches 253 million subscribers across 3,000+ publishers, including Washington Post, NBC, AdWeek, and Morning Brew., MSNBC, Bloomberg, and TechCrunch. Brands such as Uber, DoorDash, Salesforce, and Marriott use Paved to scale newsletter sponsorships without the friction of traditional IO-based buying.
As marketers contend with signal loss, declining referral traffic amid growing LLMs, rising acquisition costs, and tighter media scrutiny, the report makes one thing clear: newsletter advertising has moved beyond niche and is now a scalable, performance-driven channel.
To learn more about Paved’s 2026 Newsletter Ad Performance Report, click here.
About Paved
Paved is a leading platform for newsletter sponsorships and native advertising, reaching 253 million newsletter subscribers across 3,000+ publishers, including Fortune, Bloomberg, and TechCrunch. By connecting over 8,000 newsletter creators with brands, Paved powers mutually beneficial sponsorship campaigns with unprecedented targeting capabilities. As a global, fully distributed team, Paved remains dedicated to developing tools that support and drive the growth of content creators worldwide. Paved was acquired by Redbrick in March 2025.
