蘑菇AV

The only certain thing about TikTok鈥檚 sale is more uncertainty: Washington keeps kicking the can on a US sale, leaving TikTok to convince advertisers not to panic.

We expect US social network video ad spending to total $48.89 billion this year (not including YouTube), up 24.6% YoY. In fact, spending on social video is expected to surpass linear TV ad spending next year in the US. That鈥檚 good news for social platforms since growth in time spent with social video is slowing, as is social video鈥檚 share of average daily time spent on social networks by users.

US digital media consumption and consumer spending growth are at a standstill. 鈥淚t's just getting really competitive to reach today's consumers,鈥� our analyst Jeremy Goldman said on an episode of the 鈥淏ehind the Numbers: Daily鈥� podcast. Here鈥檚 what advertisers need to know about the latest trends in digital, including fierce competition for ad dollars to ecommerce having room to grow.

蘑菇AV clients' top 10 '24 topics : CTV led ad growth, AI drove innovation, and retail media surged, while TikTok and Gen Z reshaped the landscape.

The NFL Christmas Day games shattered streaming records: the Chiefs-Steelers matchup drew 24.1 million viewers, while the Ravens-Texans game attracted 24.3 million, making them the most-streamed NFL games in US history. The broadcasts drew the highest Christmas Day viewership among 18- to 34-year-olds since Nielsen began tracking in 2001, with 5.1 million US viewers in that demographic.

US omnichannel retail media ad spending grew 20.4% this year to $52.3 billion, per our forecast, making it the fastest-growing ad channel. But rapid growth comes with growing pains鈥攁s retail media networks (RMNs) not named Amazon or Walmart discovered this year.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping transform connected TV (CTV) into a performance marketing channel, giving paid search and social media a run for their money. CTV ad spend will reach $32.57 billion in the US next year, and AI is helping to boost its potential for advertisers. Here are three ways AI is doing that.

US CPG Industry Ad Spending 2024 (蘑菇AV subscription required). Methodology: Data is from the April 2025 ThinkNow Research "Clicks vs. Carts: 2025 Shoppers Report." 1,500 US adults ages 18+ were surveyed online during March 3-16, 2025.

We expect US creator revenues from social media tipping and gifting to rise by 39.8% YoY in 2024鈥攆aster than any other revenue stream. Click here to view our full forecast for US social media creator revenues. Loyal fans tip to give back to their favorite creators. Only 6.2% of US consumers preferred to support creators by sending them tips, per April 2023 data from the Influencer Marketing Factory.

Despite growing competition from the likes of Walmart and Temu, the retailer strengthened its grip on US ecommerce, established itself as an ad giant, and stayed relevant with price-conscious shoppers.

Still, with the lion鈥檚 share of total US retail sales driven by brick-and-mortar, physical stores represent a sizable white-space opportunity to expand first-party data monetization. Retail media鈥檚 digital ascent has created momentum for physical stores as the next frontier. Online retail media has grown exponentially and will exceed $54 billion in ad spend this year.

In 2024, connected TV (CTV) platforms raced to expand ad-supported content, Google delayed its cookie plans (again), and brands chased insights from social media giants on how to break through to consumers.

While Gemini and cloud services drive record revenues, competition and global regulatory actions threaten its monopoly, particularly in search and advertising ecosystems

Perhaps the most potent threat to Google鈥檚 market lead is an August ruling from a US Justice Department lawsuit, which found that the company operates an illegal search monopoly. In a second trial, the DOJ suggested that Google should sell Google Chrome, the largest web browser in the world by market share, which could significantly reduce its advertising capabilities. And that鈥檚 just in the US.

Fubo pioneers interactive TV ads: New formats aim to move commerce from second screens to big screens with seamless shopping experiences.

After experiencing downturns in recent years, social CPMs are on the rise again in the US, per our forecasts. That鈥檚 a sign that brands could invest more in social media ads amid optimism about the economy.