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Amid uncertainty over TikTok鈥檚 future in the US and the politicization of other networks, advertisers are becoming more hesitant about where they invest. Our take: As consumers lose confidence in social media鈥檚 reliability and returns diminish, advertisers need to consider diversification鈥攚ithout divesting too heavily from social.

If ad dollars shrink, Meta and others may need to ditch risky side projects and focus on scalable, affordable services to survive the slowdown

Fifty-seven percent of US marketers see content creation as the leading AI use case, per Jasper. Tinder and Uber are already using the immersive AI ad format. Tinder鈥檚 lens allows users to create personalized selfies with the caption 鈥淢y 2025 Dating Vibe,鈥� and Uber piloted the feature for a Thanksgiving-themed AI lens.

Why it matters: Media companies are especially exposed to shifts in consumer behavior and ad spend鈥攁nd both are now under pressure. Ad budgets face new headwinds. As costs rise, consumer brands in retail, tech, and CPG may scale back marketing鈥攂ad news for platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Roku, which increasingly depend on advertising. Content spending will tighten.

YouTube also leads all other digital platforms for US time spent. US adults will spend an average 37 minutes per day on the platform in 2025, ahead of Netflix (36 minutes), Facebook (20 minutes), Instagram, and TikTok (17 minutes each). Ad spending on YouTube will be up over 750% in 2025 versus 2015.

Our analysts are currently preparing an updated US Retail & Ecommerce forecast, slated for release in May, with revised global retail forecasts coming by late June. Our take: The tariff escalation is more than a headline鈥攊t鈥檚 a structural shock that could reshape global consumer demand and ad spending for the remainder of 2025 and for years to come.

As sports wagering grows its digital footprint, ad spending by the gambling industry levels off.

US eCPMs for digital video, display, and audio formats fell in Q2 2024鈥攖he average decrease was slight on a QoQ basis but more pronounced on a YoY basis.

Meta platforms will account for 72% of overall social network ad spending in 2025, per our forecast.

US travel media network (TMN) ad spend will reach $2.13 billion this year and increase to $2.96 billion in 2026, per our September 2024 forecast.

Methodology: Estimates are based on the analysis of various elements related to the ad spending market, including macro-level economic conditions, historical trends of the advertising market, historical trends of each medium in relation to other media, reported revenues of major ad publishers, estimates from other research firms, data from benchmark sources, consumer media consumption trends, consumer device

Snapchat reimagines its Partner Program for SMBs: The changes will see the program split into two tiers, with features to help SMBs advertise.

Despite its recent promise to spend $500 million on US infrastructure and jobs, Apple didn鈥檛 get iPhone tariff exemptions like it did under Trump鈥檚 first term. Apple may stop offering products and services in certain regions or raise prices, further dampening iPhone 16 sales.

With over 200 million gamers in the US and billions globally, games present a chance for advertisers to reach consumers when they鈥檙e deeply engaged. Game ad revenues are increasing steadily, indicating that gaming will continue to be a profitable investment for advertisers willing to diversify spending.

By buying The Search Monitor, Similarweb adds compliance firepower, but integration hurdles and pricing shifts may test smaller clients

鈥淲hile scaling and driving adoption of our video formats is a key focus area for Roblox in 2025, we鈥檙e also focused on building and scaling unique formats 鈥� to help brands reach and engage the Gen Z audience on Roblox,鈥� the company said. 48% of US Gen Zers played Roblox in 2024, per CivicScience.

The estimate indicates a major shift from advertisers in light of the platform鈥檚 potential US ban. The sharp decline comes despite TikTok usage returning to normal levels following a short blackout and temporary removal from US app stores鈥攁nd despite an outright ban seeming less likely in light of Oracle inching toward a final deal for a TikTok sale.