The Explosive Growth of Affiliate Marketing in 2024 shocks industry insiders as U.S. sales skyrocket to $113 billion, outpacing overall e-commerce growth and redefining digital marketing priorities.
A good portion of this post is based on research and information from Affiverse Media (find other references at the end of the post below).
Due to its massive growth, Affiliate marketing is no longer a supplementary channel; it’s a digital commerce powerhouse.
Just look at affiliate marketing’s explosive growth in 2024, which bodes a positive outlook for the future. We are seeing it with the influence of Artificial Intelligence platforms being added by affiliate marketers to their websites, and digital product offerings every day.
A recent Performance Marketing Association (PMA) report, based on data from leading networks like Awin, CJ, Rakuten, and ShareASale (ShareASale is now under the banner of Awin in 2025, which has owned it since 2017), reveals that affiliate-driven sales hit a staggering $113 billion in the U.S. in 2024, fueled by a massive 49% increase in advertiser investment since 2021.
Table of Contents
Key Growth Metrics
$113 B in U.S. Sales: Affiliates now influence 9.4% of total ecommerce sales; among participating brands, that number jumps to 15%.
$13.63 B Ad Spend: Affiliate investment nearly doubled since 2018’s $6.2 B. Between 2021–2024, investment surged 49%, vastly outpacing overall ecommerce growth of 25%.
Impressive ROA: The channel delivered an average $11 return for every dollar spent.
Industry Trends Behind the Numbers
Sector Diversification
Retail remains dominant at 63% of spend (down from 76%).
Financial Services climbed to 15%, a 25% category expansion.
Travel surged 80%, now 9% of spend—revenge travel is back!
Telecoms leaped to 7%, doubling their investment share.
Evolving Publisher Landscape
Cashback & Loyalty Sites: Stable at 35% of affiliate spending.
Coupon Sites: Declined to 10%, down from 16%, as loyalty & tech shift.
Content Creators: Grew to 16%; among these, bloggers now command 42% while media giants dropped to 35%.
Tech Solutions (e.g., BNPL): Rose to 7%, with BNPL accounting for 45% of tech spend.
Comparison Sites: Tripled share to 6% amid price-conscious demand.
Social & Influencers: Now 9% of spend, and likely underreported due to off‑network tracking.
Challenges & Publisher Sentiment
52% of publishers are very concerned about Google algorithm changes.
55% worry about consent-bar tracking issues.
Yet optimism remains high: 54% expect growth vs. only 17% pessimistic.
Strategic Takeaways for Marketers
Diversify across verticals, don’t rely solely on retail. Explore finance, travel, and telecom.
Capitalize on niche content creators, they’re gaining traction as traditional media falters.
Leverage tech-driven affiliate tools like BNPL and card‑linked offers to boost conversions.
Stay proactive about algorithm shifts, focus on quality content and tracking compliance.
Overview & Advice
The PMA/London Research study underscores affiliate marketing’s central role in the digital ecosystem.
With $113 B in sales, blockbuster ROI, and a maturing publisher landscape, affiliate strategy is now a core requirement, not an afterthought.
To stay ahead, brands and publishers must embrace diversification, innovative tech, and transparent, performance-driven partnerships.
With affiliate marketing’s explosive growth, 2025 and beyond should see greater gains and opportunities for seniors to start their side hustles to supplement their retirement income.
Source Links (References):
Here are the primary source URLs used to compile the blog post on the explosive growth of affiliate marketing in the U.S. for 2024:
- Affiverse Media – Original Article
https://www.affiversemedia.com/us-sales-through-affiliate-hit-113b-asinvestment-jumps-49/ - Performance Marketing Association (PMA) – Industry Reports & Stats
https://thepma.org/ - London Research (Research partner mentioned in the article)
https://londonresearch.com/ - CJ Affiliate – Network contributing to the study
https://www.cj.com/ - Awin – Affiliate Network
https://www.awin.com/ - Rakuten Advertising – Affiliate and performance marketing solutions
https://rakutenadvertising.com/ - ShareASale – Affiliate network under Awin
https://www.shareasale.com/
