蘑菇AV

BeReal launches its US ad business: The platform is looking to capitalize on TikTok鈥檚 uncertain future in the US.

Studio and linear remain a dark cloud for WBD and Paramount: Revenues were down YoY for both companies, but streaming remains a beacon of hope.

As consumer spending slows, ad spending will shrink in kind. Fifty-four percent of global marketers are likely to reduce ad spend in 2025, per Nielsen, and 60% of advertisers who are cutting back plan to reduce spending by 6% to 10%, according to IAB. Tighter budgets may push advertisers to scale back on high-impact channels like CTV, where CPMs often exceed those of lower-cost alternatives.

Looking ahead: Disney+ is projected to generate $4.12 billion in US subscription revenues in 2025, per our forecast. That鈥檚 up 8.6% from the prior year, while its ad-supported tier should bring in $1.27 billion鈥攎arking a 20.1% increase. Hulu's ad business, after contracting in 2023, is on track to reach $2.78 billion in 2025, up 4.3% YoY.

More than $10 billion in incremental ad spending will flow into US retail media in 2025. Amazon鈥攖he largest driver of spending in this channel鈥攈as recently seen modest retail media revenue growth relative to its past performance. As a result, we have revised our retail media forecast down from where it was in H1 2024. (The insights in this report are based on our H2 2024 forecasting data.)

Podcast ad spending will exceed $3 billion in 2027. Thanks to steady gains in listenership, engagement, and ad loads, podcasting continues to expand its share of digital audio services ad spending overall. In 2025, podcasts will represent more than one-third (33.8%) of digital audio services ad spending, per our forecast鈥攗p from 18.2% in 2020.

Tariffs and related market turmoil could also threaten brand partnerships and drive US social network ad spending growth down 10% this year, crafting a storm of uncertainty. Short-form benefits: Longer-form video content can be more expensive to produce, requiring more resources and often needing multiple episodes to gain user attention.

DOJ continues the push to dismantle Google: The search giant will need to battle regulators to defend its dominance, while advertisers should prepare for fragmentation.

The DOJ鈥檚 proposal to unwind Google鈥檚 ad stack could reshape digital advertising鈥攑otentially leveling the playing field for advertisers and giving publishers more leverage

The company鈥檚 investments, which include building out its own logistics network to improve delivery times, has helped it deliver strong growth as the US-led trade wars disrupt much of the global economy. Mercado Libre, which doesn鈥檛 export to the US, has largely sidestepped that volatility鈥攑ositioning it to capitalize on regional growth even as rivals face headwinds.

Under 蘑菇AV鈥檚 moderate tariff forecast鈥攖he most likely outcome following May鈥檚 90-day pause in the US-China trade war鈥�US CTV ad spending will grow 7.1% to $30.69 billion, far below the 16.8% growth under our light tariff scenario. This partnership will help Amazon make its case to budget-conscious advertisers.

As tariffs put pressure on retail media budgets, advertisers are, in turn, pressuring retail media networks (RMNs) for more sophisticated measurement tools that provide them with richer data across the entire funnel.

LinkedIn rebrands its Wire Program as BrandLink: The move reemphasizes its pivot toward creator-led B2B video.

Budget planning for ad spending on Amazon should account for potential volatility. Maintaining flexibility to adjust spending as market conditions evolve will be critical. Diversifying ad strategies across multiple Amazon ad products could help mitigate risk and maximize performance during fluctuating conditions.

Combatting slower ad growth may be a core focus in upcoming quarters to compete against players like Google and Amazon. Given its tech dominance and strong market position, Apple will likely continue to see revenue increases, though potentially at a slower pace鈥攂ut enhancing its Services sector and ad offerings is key to bolster growth.

We鈥檒l be watching whether it can sustain Platform growth above 15% as comps tighten later in the year鈥攅specially without the benefit of last year鈥檚 political ad spending.

TikTok builds its creator offerings while revenues thrive: While ByteDance is seeing notable growth, the tide could turn with an impending US ban.

Looking forward: While Q1 was successful for the social media giant, the ongoing US-China tariff war is expected to hit Meta hard, and its impact will likely be more noteworthy in Q2. Major Chinese advertisers including Temu and Shein contribute a substantial portion of ad spending on Meta platforms, accounting for 11% of ad spending in 2024 across Meta apps, amounting to billions of dollars.

LinkedIn ad growth may be losing its shine in the near term, but its long game remains intact. Gaming, often overlooked, is steadily becoming a more dependable contributor. The only red flag? A company known for infrastructure bravado is now thinking twice before breaking ground. That鈥檚 a subtle but important signal in an AI arms race that may be getting ahead of itself.

By share of US queries, Microsoft鈥檚 Bing search engine has long been a distant second to Google. But data from digital market intelligence company Similarweb suggests that ChatGPT is hot on Bing鈥檚 heels. In September 2024, ChatGPT attracted more web visits than Bing for the first time since its November 2022 launch.

Whether or not TikTok gets banned in the US, Snapchat stands to gain from TikTok鈥檚 volatility. Advertisers are increasingly hesitant about investing in TikTok, with the platform鈥檚 CPMs falling significantly. Creators are diversifying their content and investing in alternatives like Snapchat.