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Over 20% of US digital buyers are expected to make a purchase off a livestream in 2025鈥攁 figure that is expected to grow steadily in upcoming years. Livestreaming is becoming an increasingly popular form of shoppable media for US audiences, with 49 million US livestream retail ecommerce buyers in 2025. This figure is expected to exceed 60 million by 2028.

In 2025, US digital gamers will spend nearly as much time playing as social network users spend on social platforms each day (1 hour, 48 minutes versus 1 hour, 51 minutes, respectively). But at $8.76 billion, US gaming ad revenues will account for just a fraction of the $102.66 billion that social networks garner in ad spending.

Why it matters: Saturation, platform fatigue, and increased competition from apps like TikTok and Meta鈥檚 own Instagram are pulling users away from Facebook in important international markets. In Japan and Hong Kong, younger demographics have clearly pivoted toward apps with shorter-form video and chat-first functionality like TikTok and Snapchat.

A pending TikTok ban has marketing repercussions well beyond NIL. Like many influencers, college athletes often have their biggest followings on TikTok. Up to four-fifths of athletes鈥� NIL revenues can come from TikTok, according to athlete branding newsletter Paycheck Playbook.

LinkedIn is the top platform that has seen an increase in usage among B2B marketers globally, but others鈥攍ike YouTube, TikTok, and even Reddit鈥攁re also gaining. To reach B2B decision-makers, 64% plan to advertise on consumer channels. Video is appealing to today鈥檚 buyers. B2B buyers prefer quick, digestible content.

In the US, sales via social commerce are on track to exceed $100 billion by 2026, fueled by increasing buyers and spend-per-buyer, particularly on TikTok Shop. Amazon has partnered with social platforms, seeking to ease the path to purchase for products discovered on social that can be fulfilled by the company.

Amazon is tied with TikTok as the top media platform for advertising, according to Kantar Media research cited by WARC. Consumers favor Amazon ads for their relevance and usefulness, while concerns about over-targeting are waning.

The test is open to US creators on an invite-only basis, per Business Insider. This sharpens Meta鈥檚 efforts to acquire users and boost content through monetization programs. Our take: Meta is using referral and bonus programs as a growth engine to compete with TikTok, YouTube, and other rivals.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss the most likely outcome for the TikTok saga, if LinkedIn is risking its professional identity by pivoting towards being a content platform, Pinterest鈥檚 latest initiative to become the shopping destination, and why Reddit is somewhat of a sleeping giant. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice President and Principal Analyst Jasmine Enberg, and Senior Analyst Minda Smiley. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

While over half of US marketers use YouTube for influencer marketing, the platform falls behind influencer hubs like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. The NewFronts updates are part of a broader effort to convince creators and brands to shift attention to YouTube.

While TikTok is a dominant force in short-form video advertising, the platform鈥檚 legal status in the US remains unresolved. It looks more likely that TikTok will stay in the US market, but Meta鈥檚 Reels, Snap鈥檚 Spotlight, and Pinterest鈥檚 AI-powered discovery ads are all positioned to capture potential ad spend shifts if TikTok faces more regulatory challenges.

But the popularity of TikTok Shop, which is integrated with TikTok Live, has kept growth in consumer adoption of livestream shopping in the double digits. We expect that US livestream buyers will surpass 60 million by 2028. Click here to view our full forecast for US livestreaming retail ecommerce buyers.

Emphasizing Shorts engagement gives advertisers confidence that YouTube is continuing a path of sustainable growth鈥攕omething short-form competitors like TikTok can鈥檛 match in light of ongoing regulatory uncertainty.

It also highlights Shorts鈥� presence beyond mobile, directly challenging TikTok in a CTV platform it isn鈥檛 competing in. Changing the game for a captive audience: Unlike TikTok, YouTube is building a strong TV presence, even at the cost of frustrating loyal viewers in the process.

Latin America鈥檚 digital revolution is marching full steam ahead, with consumers spending more than a third of their day online. As social commerce and retail media propel the region鈥檚 digital economy to new heights, the runway for growth remains long.鈥�

Follow us on Instagram. Episode Transcript:.

TikTok offers an account status page with information on whether specific videos have been flagged or downvoted. Reddit notifies users when content is removed, especially by automatic moderators, though its tools are less centralized than Meta鈥檚 or TikTok鈥檚.

There鈥檚 also TikTok Shop to consider, which is now the eighth-largest US beauty retailer, per NielsenIQ, just one spot behind Ulta. The game plan: Walmart鈥檚 strategy to lure shoppers is simple. On the one hand, the retailer is leaning on discounts and cheaper products to encourage increasingly cost-conscious beauty customers to spend.

On Netflix鈥檚 mobile app, it鈥檚 adding a vertical video feed, similar to those on TikTok or Reels, with buttons to start playing, save to watch later, or share with friends. Personalized feed: Netflix鈥檚 revamped suggestions system鈥擱esponsive Recommendations鈥攎ay be aimed to capitalize on the 45% of Gen Zers who frequently decide what to view based on an algorithm or a 鈥淔or You鈥� page, per Toluna.

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.