蘑菇AV

The news: NFL ads are more effective than anything on linear鈥攂ut ads during streaming-exclusive games outperformed in the 2024-25 season. Streaming ads were 66% more effective than the cable and broadcast average during the most recent NFL season, per data from EDO. Our take: With streaming platforms capturing engaged audiences for tentpole sports like the NFL, advertisers can leverage CTV not just for reach, but for its superior ability to drive measurable action through precision targeting and interactive formats that linear doesn鈥檛 offer.

Amazon, seen as playing catch-up in the AI race, also signed multiyear agreements with Cond茅 Nast and Hearst in July, specifically to power its AI shopping assistant Rufus, per Digiday. Our take: The Amazon鈥揟imes deal underscores the growing value of premium journalism in the AI era, setting a precedent for how tech companies can ethically license high-quality content.

PRO+ subscribers have access to Industry KPIs, our collection of more than 400 benchmarks in marketing and retail and ecommerce across a range of industries and countries. AIOs are eating into traditional search ad real estate. Last May, AIOs took up to 600 pixels of screen space on search results pages, per BrightEdge data.

The news: Few US adults pay for news behind paywalls. A June 2025 Pew Research Center survey shows just 17% paid for any news last year. The vast majority (83%) avoid payment, citing the abundance of free alternatives. Our take: Advertising tied to paywalls narrows reach and shrinks scale. Brands should prioritize open, ad-supported platforms where audiences engage freely. Marketers who embrace paywall resistance鈥攆ocusing on easy access and relevant content鈥攚ill win attention and revenues in a fragmented media landscape. Those relying on strict gating risk losing audience share and diminishing ad impact as consumers stick to free, accessible alternatives.

US ad spend with financial media will reach over $600 millions this year, according to 蘑菇AV forecasts, but still represent a small fraction of the commerce media landscape. "This is a really nascent space. There aren't many players that make up this cohort of financial media networks (FMNs), and they represent a really diverse array of types of financial companies," said our analyst Sarah Marzano during a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers."

Home Depot is sharpening its pitch to non-endemic advertisers with a new partnership with Yahoo DSP. Non-endemic advertising could be a lucrative opportunity for RMNs鈥攂ut it comes with its own set of challenges. Retailers have to clearly articulate what advantages they offer compared with the rest of the (very crowded) field, while measuring the impact of non-incremental ads is more difficult given the absence of closed-loop attribution. Companies should also follow Home Depot鈥檚 lead in being strategic about the types of non-endemic advertisers they allow onto their platform. While the temptation might be to cast as wide a net as possible, limiting ad buys to brands in complementary categories will maximize effectiveness and minimize the confusion for shoppers.

The news: As the NFL season approaches and digital video becomes a sports destination, fans are looking to new streaming services to stay caught up鈥攁nd 35% are planning to subscribe to a new service to watch fall and winter sports, per CivicScience data. Our take: Sports will remain a key opportunity for brands to reach engaged and passionate audiences鈥攂ut as fragmentation worsens, advertisers must prioritize cross-platform strategies that unlock consistent exposure.

The news: Paramount struck a $7.7 billion, 7-year agreement with UFC in its first big move after closing its merger with Skydance. The deal will see all 43 live annual UFC events streamed exclusively in the US on Paramount+, while select UFC events will be simultaneously aired on CBS. Our take: With its UFC deal, Paramount is taking the first step toward regaining audience share and ad spend post-Skydance merger, banking on live sports鈥� steady draw for viewers and marketers.

Amazon鈥檚 bundling of shopping, delivery, and streaming continues to pay off鈥攅specially in price-sensitive markets. Netflix鈥檚 decline may be incremental but also suggests saturation or diminishing value perception as users gravitate toward platforms offering broader ecosystems, cheaper access, or local content. Yes, but: Netflix鈥檚 dip in Brazil鈥攊ts No. 2 market behind the US鈥攎ay be temporary.

VideoAmp has extended its partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery in a multi-year deal aimed at advancing flexible ad measurement. WBD will leverage VideoAmp鈥檚 tools across digital, linear, and cross-platform campaigns during the 2025 upfronts, reinforcing its 鈥渕easurement agnostic鈥� stance. This comes as marketers prioritize attribution and precision, particularly in CTV environments. The deal reflects broader trends: 71% of global marketers view advanced measurement as a top opportunity, and currency innovation is becoming essential. With recent leadership changes and ongoing partnerships with major networks, VideoAmp is positioning itself as a key player in the evolving ad currency ecosystem.

Ecommerce is gaining on search advertising. The convenience of ecommerce is challenging traditional search鈥檚 dominance, with retail giants like Amazon increasingly catering to B2B buyers. But standardization in measurement remains a challenge, and ecommerce platforms may not yet deliver the same level of returns as open web advertising.

A trade war with the US will hinder economic performance in Canada this year. Ad spending overall is expected to lose the momentum gained in 2024. But many digital formats will benefit from the emphasis on return on ad spending.

Advertisers should map churn cycles and diversify ad spend to align with viewing habits and consumer behavior while prioritizing media plans that follow content, not just platforms.

This is the first installment of our 鈥淯K Ad Spending Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.

This is the first installment of our 鈥淯K Ad Spending Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.

This is the first installment of our 鈥淯K Ad Spending Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.鈥嬧��

This is the first installment of our 鈥淯K Ad Spending Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.鈥�

The big idea: Pharma marketers should pivot away from TV advertising even if the government doesn鈥檛 implement a ban on D2C drug ads. Our take: Pharma is a unique industry that still benefits from linear TV. However, more drug brands should consider D2C online platforms that serve as quasi substitutes to TV commercials at a much lower cost, plus channels like influencer partnerships.

The report: OpenAI is reportedly developing a checkout feature that would allow users to complete purchases directly within ChatGPT, according to The Financial Times. Merchants would pay OpenAI a commission on any resulting sales. Our take: At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, checkout integration could fundamentally transform the ecommerce landscape. Even before news of the feature began circulating, brands were exploring AI optimization, or 鈥淎IO鈥�, to rank in AI-generated product recommendations. Now, with purchases just a click away, ChatGPT could emerge as a viable commerce engine鈥攅specially if it undercuts incumbent marketplaces鈥� take rates. And it likely won鈥檛 be alone for long. Rivals like Perplexity and Anthropic are almost certain to build similar transactional layers, creating a new crop of marketplace-like platforms for sellers in short order.

The news: Messaging ads are gaining traction as a key opportunity to reach customers at critical moments after Meta debuted ads in WhatsApp. In an exclusive conversation with 蘑菇AV, Grant Parker, president of omnichannel ad platform Innnovid, offered his take on the future of the messaging medium. Our take: The path forward for messaging ads relies on how well the format integrates with the user experience rather than interrupting it鈥攏ecessitating that advertisers invest in this opportunity while accounting for consumer attitudes.

Real-world applications are already underway: Amazon鈥檚 Rufus ads blend product discovery with video in a seamless shopping flow, while Meta and TikTok aim to compress production timelines without sacrificing personalization. Despite the excitement, measurement gaps persist鈥攑articularly in closed-loop platforms like Rufus鈥攍eaving some advertisers flying blind on performance attribution.

Zooming in: All but one of the top 20 Rx brands increased YoY linear TV ad spending for the first six months of 2025, per iSpot. Novo Nordisk鈥檚 GLP-1 drug for weight loss Wegovy rang up $193.2 million in H1, boosting its linear TV ad spend by more than $150 million YoY. Johnson & Johnson鈥檚 anti-inflammatory biologic Tremfya dropped $119.2 million to promote its use for ulcerative colitis (UC).

While Argentina is opening its economy to foreign businesses, Brazil and Mexico are taking steps to curb the growing popularity of Asia-based ecommerce platforms like Shopee, AliExpress, Shein, and Temu. Argentina eliminated tariffs on international ecommerce purchases up to $400 for personal use and raised the tax-exempt purchase limit from $1,000 to $3,000 in December 2024.

Netflix could continue pushing into in-app e-commerce and shoppable features to give creators more opportunities to monetize content beyond platform payouts. Our take: YouTube鈥檚 appeal as a (mostly) free platform means it鈥檒l likely continue its dominance鈥攂ut all hope isn鈥檛 lost for Netflix, which continues to lead in paid streaming offerings.