Ä¢¹½AV

Retailers had a whirlwind 2024 that saw consumers seeking value, rising in-store visits, and widespread technological experimentation. To honor individual retailers who stood out, our analysts voted on a number of categories and discussed the winners on a new episode of the "Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail" podcast.

Streaming music, podcasts, and radio apps have changed the complexion of audio listenership in Canada. Over the past decade, digital audio has grown to a level that now rivals the traditionally strong radio listener base.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the main challenges around extracting more value from first-party data, what happens when you create standardization, and the importance of measurement as we head into 2025. Tune in to the discussion with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Analyst Max Willens, and Vice President of Product at LiveRamp Matthew Karasick.

Traveling for the holidays? Here are four episodes of our "Reimagining Retail" podcast for your listening pleasure.

The UMG deal underscores the power struggle between streaming platforms and record labels, with investors eager to assess its financial impact. With strong pricing flexibility and tighter cost controls, Spotify appears well-positioned for long-term profitability—especially as it continues to monetize its non-podcast media efficiently.

In today’s episode, we talk about what’s going on with Bitcoin since Trump won the election, how his policy moves could affect cryptocurrency, and the likelihood of America launching a digital dollar. Join the discussion with host and Head of Business Development, Rob Rubin, and Analysts Grace Broadbent and Tyler Van Dyke.

And streaming services are of course where so many eyeballs are. So in that context for me, I'm in. One point for you. Marcus Johnson (17:49):. Wow. Paul Verna (17:50):. Thank you. I agree that well, I'll say that Disney has said consistently for a long time now that they see themselves as a streaming-first business and that's the direction they're going in.

On today's podcast episode, we give out some 2024 retail awards for the most must-visit store, the Gen Z darling, the best innovator, the small stuff worth sweating award, and the comeback story of the year. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, Vice President of Content Suzy Davidkhanian and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what actually ends up happening to TikTok, what an X and Truth Social alliance might look like, and who TikTok Shop might enter a joint venture with. Tune in to the discussion with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice President and Principal Analyst Jasmine Enberg, and Vice Presidents of Content Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how Netflix’s recent live sports events have performed, if there’s a new streaming price ceiling for consumers, and whether its entertainment hub playbook is replicable. Tune in to the conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson and Vice President Paul Verna. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

CTV time—which does not include traditional TV viewed via a CTV but does include all forms of streaming OTT, digital pay TV, apps, and audio accessed via a CTV—has risen rapidly in recent years. But it will still trail mobile device time by 1:45 per day and traditional TV time by 40 minutes.

The streaming platform said using AI for coding assistance, general operating tasks, and content moderation management reduced costs and improved productivity in 2024. Spotify also said that using Google NotebookLM helped it quickly produce an AI-generated podcast addition to its Wrapped campaign, which received a mixed reaction from users.

There was an article the other day showing that you need at least three streaming services to watch all the NFL games. Different ones have different games but you'll need at least a combination of three of the seven that cover the NFL to watch all of the games. So that is relatively prohibitive. It's really interesting by age and by sport as well.

Why it matters: YouTube's living room success is reshaping the streaming landscape. The platform has cemented its evolution from a mobile-first service to a legitimate competitor to linear TV. Traditional pay-TV providers face increasing pressure from YouTube's expansion. The platform's success spans multiple formats, from sports to podcasts to music.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss when and where we will start to see ads alongside ChatGPT, how other AI startups are rolling them out, and what kinds of GenAI ads will be most impactful. Tune in to the discussion with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, and Analysts Jacob Bourne and Daniel Konstantinovic.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss how folks viewed big ticket items over the Thanksgiving holiday shopping period, how in-store foot traffic shook out, and the impact of buy now, pay later (BNPL). Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Senior Analyst Zak Stambor and Analyst Rachel Wolff.