蘑菇AV

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Warner Bros. Discovery posted strong Q2 2025 results, with studio revenues rising 55% YoY to $3.8 billion and HBO Max adding 3.4 million subscribers. A major company split is planned for 2026, separating Max and the studio from WBD鈥檚 legacy TV networks. Max is gaining momentum in a crowded market, with restrained ad loads and projected 85% growth in US ad revenues by 2027. With $10.76 billion earmarked for original content next year and major IP releases coming, WBD is positioning Max and its studios for standalone success. The split could offer investors a clearer, more compelling growth story.

In context, Fox accounted for 6.8% of total time spent with TV in the US in April, per Nielsen, behind YouTube, The Walt Disney Co, Paramount, NBCUniversal, and Netflix. For advertisers, here鈥檚 the fallout: An engagement dip means fewer eyeballs, less time spent, and reduced ad impact鈥攅specially for brands counting on Fox鈥檚 live sports and news to deliver reach at scale. Audience loss.

The news: NFL ads are more effective than anything on linear鈥攂ut ads during streaming-exclusive games outperformed in the 2024-25 season. Streaming ads were 66% more effective than the cable and broadcast average during the most recent NFL season, per data from EDO. Our take: With streaming platforms capturing engaged audiences for tentpole sports like the NFL, advertisers can leverage CTV not just for reach, but for its superior ability to drive measurable action through precision targeting and interactive formats that linear doesn鈥檛 offer.

The news: Apple is hiking Apple TV+ subscriptions from $9.99 to $12.99 a month in the US and other select markets. The change took effect Thursday for new subscribers and will begin within 30 days of renewal for existing ones. Annual plans and Apple One bundles remain unchanged. Our take: Price hikes may stabilize short-term revenue, but they heighten the churn risk when loyalty is fragile. Apple is betting that prestige shows and an ad-free edge justify a 30% hike, but with churn peaking, this risks price-sensitive viewers simply switching away.

The news: As the NFL season approaches and digital video becomes a sports destination, fans are looking to new streaming services to stay caught up鈥攁nd 35% are planning to subscribe to a new service to watch fall and winter sports, per CivicScience data. Our take: Sports will remain a key opportunity for brands to reach engaged and passionate audiences鈥攂ut as fragmentation worsens, advertisers must prioritize cross-platform strategies that unlock consistent exposure.

The news: Two months after its streaming-only release, Netflix鈥檚 鈥淜Pop Demon Hunters鈥� is thriving in a limited box office run鈥攅mphasizing the company鈥檚 evolving strategy as the streaming market becomes increasingly saturated. Our take: Netflix鈥檚 current box office success shows its evolution beyond a streaming platform and toward a broader entertainment brand. The company is placing its bet on diversification to drive sustained growth, hinting at a future that integrates a platform-agnostic approach with successful content distributed to wherever viewers are most likely to engage.

The news: YouTube has made an official inquiry about purchasing the rights to future Academy Awards ceremonies in its latest live events push, per Bloomberg. The move comes after viewership increased slightly for the most recent Oscars ceremony, driven by simultaneous airing on ABC and Hulu. Our take: Rather than competing head-on with broadcast, YouTube can position itself as a complementary streaming partner that extends the Oscars鈥� reach by highlighting shifting viewership trends that capture audiences broadcast alone struggles to reach and its edge in premium video advertising.

The news: As budgets tighten, consumers are altering their streaming habits, per Hub Research鈥檚 annual Monetizing Video report. While the average user is unwilling to pay much more than they鈥檙e already paying for streaming subscriptions, 42% say they are much more likely to maintain bundled subscriptions compared with individual streaming subscriptions. Our take: Advertisers must pay attention to platforms that offer bundle packages as key areas for investment due to their lower churn. Bundles consolidate audience attention and offer more predictable engagement.

The news: Live-streamer Sling TV debuted day, weekend, and weeklong streaming passes as monthly subscription costs escalate. Consumers can buy a Day Pass for $4.99, a Friday-Sunday pass for $9.99, or a Week Pass for $14.99. Passes don鈥檛 auto-renew. All three passes offer access to the same 34 channels on Sling鈥檚 Orange package, including ESPN, TNT, A&E, Comedy Central, and more. Our take: If its short-term passes are successful, we can expect more streamers to follow suit and potentially offer popular IP for rent鈥攖hink 鈥淪quid Game鈥� on Netflix or 鈥淭he Gilded Age鈥� on HBO Max. That would allow advertisers to target specific, price-conscious audiences.

The news: YouTube is testing a collaboration option that allows all creators to share credit on individual videos, boosting visibility across channels. MrBeast is among the first to trial the co-author credits. Our take: YouTube is copying an offering that Instagram and TikTok have already rolled out鈥攁 common tactic across social media. It will likely give influencers鈥擸ouTube鈥檚 bread and butter鈥攁 helping hand to increase collaborations and subscriber counts. But it could also decrease production as multiple creators share a single video without producing their own individual content.

Consumer skepticism looms large: Over 30% of US adults in every age group say AI in ads makes them less likely to choose a brand, a figure that jumps to 42% among those 65 and above. At the same time, surveys show younger audiences are more open to contextual and localized creative, highlighting generational divides. Human craft still matters.

Disney will pay $10 million in a settlement after the Federal Trade Commission alleged that the company collected personal information from children on videos uploaded to YouTube. Disney reportedly uploaded child-directed content to YouTube but did not label the videos as 鈥淢ade for Kids,鈥� allowing young users to be served targeted ads. Information was collected 鈥渨ithout parental notice or consent,鈥� the FTC and Justice Department said. Disney鈥檚 payout highlights the risks of targeting younger audiences without adequate safeguards鈥攁 challenge that will become even more pressing for advertisers as connected TV matures as a channel.

The news: Upfront spending on primetime TV declined for the third year in a row as viewers shift to streaming and advertisers follow suit, per Media Dynamics. Our take: Though linear still commands more ad spending than streaming for now, money and viewership are becoming more entrenched within streaming.

The company is banking on scale鈥攎illions of subscribers adding up to meaningful revenues, especially since Roku already has a massive built-in audience of over 90 million US streaming households. Why now? Roku鈥檚 launch of Howdy is a response to rising consumer frustration with the high cost and ad loads of streaming.

The news: Advertisers are increasing investment in up-and-coming digital advertising channels as the shift away from traditional continues, per a DoubleVerify study. Social media maintains the highest level of investment among North American marketers. Seventy-nine percent are already investing, while 19% have plans to. Our take: High-performing traditional ad formats are being overlooked because they鈥檙e harder to measure鈥攂ut optimizing for attribution over outcomes could come at a cost.

LinkedIn posted 9% YoY revenue growth in its June-ending quarter, fueled by rising engagement, B2B ad demand, and AI-powered tools. Despite soft hiring trends, sessions rose 11% YoY as more creators and professionals use LinkedIn for content, networking, and branding. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasized the platform鈥檚 evolution from a resume archive to a dynamic business hub. AI continues to drive efficiency and creativity across features, benefiting both users and advertisers. With strong identity data and a trusted audience, LinkedIn is carving out a stable, differentiated space in social media鈥攑ositioning itself for long-term relevance beyond recruitment cycles.

Over half (54%) of US ad-supported TV viewers who paused content did so for between one and five minutes, long enough to serve a targeted ad, according to April data from Magna Global and DIRECTV Advertising.

For instance, we project that US adults will spend nearly 4.5 hours per day with digital video next year, which is an increase of about an hour per day from 2022. Meanwhile, we estimate that healthcare and pharma marketers will spend about $6.5 billion on video ad spending this year, far less than the $13 billion they鈥檒l devote to search, by comparison.

YouTube led US streaming watch time for the 25th consecutive month in June, capturing 12.8% of total TV viewing against Netflix鈥檚 7.5%, per Nielsen. The two platforms are nearly tied in daily time spent, but YouTube commands a significant revenue lead. We forecast YouTube will generate $9.4 billion in US ad revenues this year versus Netflix鈥檚 $2.07 billion.

This report analyzes how digital adoption and evolving consumer habits are reshaping South Korea鈥檚 retail, media, and payments landscape.

The news: As US interest in soccer grows with the 2026 FIFA World Cup less than a year away, one streaming brand with deep ties to soccer is notably absent from the pre-World Cup hype: Apple TV+. Our take: Apple TV+ is fathoms behind leading services with approximately 45 million subscribers, per The Information. Without a legacy media business to support its streaming operations, sports leagues have a wealth of other channels to partner with for better reach.

The news: Paramount struck a $7.7 billion, 7-year agreement with UFC in its first big move after closing its merger with Skydance. The deal will see all 43 live annual UFC events streamed exclusively in the US on Paramount+, while select UFC events will be simultaneously aired on CBS. Our take: With its UFC deal, Paramount is taking the first step toward regaining audience share and ad spend post-Skydance merger, banking on live sports鈥� steady draw for viewers and marketers.

Google staff are quietly preparing Ad Manager for life as a potential stand-alone company, per The Information. Employees recently met with ad agencies鈥攁n unusual move for a publisher-facing business鈥攁s a federal court considers whether Google must divest its ad tech unit. Ad Manager generates an estimated $5 billion in annual revenues but faces declining demand and complaints from streaming players and publishers about slow innovation. With DOJ regulators pressing for a spinoff and rivals like Magnite and PubMatic gaining ground, Google鈥檚 outreach underscores how seriously it views the threat of breakup and the need for buyer-side relationships.