Ä¢¹½AV

Amazon introduced greater brand safety controls on its DSP in February after Amazon, Google, and Meta were criticized by Congress for placing ads on sites with child sexual abuse content. 41% of US marketers are decreasing ad spend with media companies because of concerns over brand safety and suitability controls for ads—and more may follow suit without greater control over where ads run across platforms

The trend: Most healthcare and pharma marketers plan to increase their CTV/over-the-top (OTT) spending in the next year, according to Nielsen’s Global Annual Marketing Survey. Our take: CTV’s gain of healthcare and pharma ad dollars isn’t necessarily linear TV’s loss. Campaign strategies for linear should focus on brand awareness, while CTV allows drug ads to be highly targeted.

Key Stat: Depending on the severity of tariffs, US linear TV upfront ad spending will decline between $2.78 billion and $4.12 billion during the 2025 broadcast year. This report can help you develop media strategy and allocate budget for campaigns (brands and agencies). Executive Summary. US linear TV upfront ad spending will take a hit this year.

Two-thirds of US retail media buyers expect to spend more on video advertising over the next 12 months, according to March 2025 data from Koddi. Nearly as many (63%) will up their investments in social media.

We forecast programmatic display ad spending for six major markets: Canada, China, France, Germany, the UK, and the US. Programmatic display ad spending will grow the fastest in Western European countries this year. These markets are regaining momentum after inflation and an energy crisis depressed ad spending growth in 2022 and 2023.

If not for China, the ecommerce giant would be nearly as dominant internationally as it is in the US. In its home market, Amazon accounts for over 75% of retail media spending. Globally, its share drops considerably, but that’s because Amazon has little business in China and captures almost none of its domestic ad spending.

Mobile app install ad spending in the US is forecast to reach over $27 billion in 2025, up nearly 11% from last year, per our forecast. Mobile in-app ad spending is projected to grow even faster, rising 12.6% in 2025 to nearly $190 billion. By 2029, mobile will make up nearly 68% of total digital ad spending in the US, climbing from 66% this year.

Retail media ad spending in the US will reach almost $55 billion in 2024, as advertisers’ focus on off-site spending intensifies.

The news: Podcast ad spending intention will reach an 11-year high in 2025, and more advertisers are investing in the medium than ever, per a Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights report. Podcast ad spend intention reached 69% among agencies and advertisers surveyed, the highest in the eleven years tracked by Cumulus and Signal Hill. 78% are already investing in podcast advertising, five times higher than the amount investing in 2015. Our take: As listenership spikes, podcasts will continue being a key investment for savvy advertisers—and those who know how to maximize the medium’s potential will come out on top.

Although the US lacks a federal privacy law similar to those abroad, 19 states have passed laws restricting data use. Wherever privacy laws have passed, marketers have turned to first-party data. Google may have spared third-party cookies, but in practice, almost 90% of US browsers could become cookieless.

Retailers that aimed to be media giants are hitting headwinds as ad growth slows. To stay competitive, retail media networks must rethink org structure, sharpen media skills, and plan smartly to thrive in a more challenging landscape.

According to March data from Koddi, 66% of US retail media buyers plan to boost video spend on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, while 63% expect to grow overall social media budgets. And social media activity (likes, comments, etc.) is considered to be a valuable type of customer data for driving marketing decisions among nearly 3 in 10 US brand and agency marketers.

Click here to view our full forecast for US retail media ad spending. Retail media’s dependence on on-site advertising has created self-imposed barriers to growth. On-site advertising supply is finite: Owned and operated ad inventory is only as expansive as the breadth of a retailer’s brand mix and assortment.

The news: Amazon’s Private Auction is quietly reshaping the CTV landscape by introducing more flexible buying on Prime Video. The format allows smaller advertisers and performance marketers to compete for inventory through open bidding, bypassing the need for costly guaranteed placements. As CPMs decline and the demand for agility rises, this move gives brands better control over pricing and access. Our take: While big brands may still favor premium guarantees, Amazon’s shift reflects broader momentum toward programmatic efficiency. By inviting direct-response buyers into the Prime Video ecosystem, Amazon is not just monetizing scale—it’s redefining what CTV access looks like in 2025.

The news: Despite its massive reach, gaming still accounts for less than 5% of worldwide media investment, per Dentsu’s 2025 Gaming Trends report—indicating a disparity between where audiences spend their time and where advertisers invest. Our take: Concerns about brand safety with in-game advertising linger, but brands that are willing to take the risk stand to gain through an approach that considers that simply investing in the format isn’t enough to drive results.

The news: The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) gave a glimpse of the TV (CTV) advertising’s future at its IAB Tech Lab event—and proved that pause ads are leading the way. Advertising leaders said they offer the best user experience, were most likely to scale with standardization, and provided the greatest increase in ad spend. Our take: The future of CTV advertising will rely on whether advertisers can implement non-intrusive formats that capture attention. Pause ads are positioned to drive action—but advertisers must reimagine their creative strategy to capitalize on this potential.

The news:** Amazon has quietly doubled the ad load on Prime Video, now serving 4 to 6 minutes of ads per hour—up from 2 to 3.5—placing it alongside Hulu and Paramount+ in volume. This aligns with Amazon’s effort to scale its connected TV inventory and offers buyers greater reach. Our take: The added ad time could shift Prime Video’s role in media planning, attracting performance-focused advertisers if CPMs soften, or reinforcing a premium stance if PMP rates hold. Weekly user engagement remains high, making the platform a reliable environment for consistent exposure. Amazon is quietly positioning Prime Video as a leading CTV ad player.