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The news: Netflix鈥檚 heavy use of algorithms to shape recommendations and even greenlight shows is facing criticism for stifling originality. The platform tracks what viewers watch, how long they stay, and when and where they tune in. Algorithms then predict which shows to produce and promote, prioritizing scale and retention over creative risks. Our take: Netflix鈥檚 algorithm-first strategy may boost retention in the short term, but it risks long-term brand erosion in an oversaturated market. With viewers favoring platforms that deliver originality and cultural impact, rivals investing in originality and prestige programming have a clear opening to capture Netflix鈥檚 fatigued subscribers.

A Precise TV study revealed key habits for younger Gen Z consumers ages 13 to 17鈥攅mphasizing that short-form and digital video are leading the way. YouTube Shorts and TikTok ads were major drivers of purchase decisions: 51% of Gen Z boys and 43% of girls made a purchase after watching YouTube Shorts ads, while 44% of boys and 41% of girls purchased after watching a TikTok ad. Gen Z鈥檚 digital buying power will only grow, and targeting younger Gen Z consumers will position brands for long-term growth鈥攑rovided the right strategies are implemented.

Amazon closed its second annual Upfronts with 鈥渟ignificant growth鈥� across independent agencies and holding companies, per Adweek. An Amazon spokesperson cited excitement surrounding live sports offerings on Prime Video as a key driver of growth. Amazon is positioned for sustained ad growth if it continues relying on its sports properties to draw advertiser interest in Prime Video. With Prime Video only making up a fraction of Amazon鈥檚 overall ad revenues, the service is far from hitting its ceiling鈥攁nd future investment in tentpole sporting events will put Prime Video on par with its bigger competitors.

By comparison, the US will have 114.1 million digital live sports viewers this year, per our forecast. Will it work? Its success will depend on its ability to become a hub for must-see sporting events. ESPN鈥檚 five-year, $1.6 billion WWE deal and equity swap with the NFL for access to NFL Network, RedZone, and NFL+ bolster its live-event slate. UFC pay-per-view remains through 2025.

Nearly half of the US population are live sports viewers, and digital live sports viewers are maintaining steady growth, per our forecasts. Sports ads drive engagement that few other formats can match: Women鈥檚 sports advertising, for example, drives 40% more engagement than average primetime TV ads.

The news: Despite a surge in sports advertising and streaming, Walt Disney Co. failed to surpass last year鈥檚 upfront volume, citing a result that was 鈥渃onsistent with last year,鈥� per a press release. Streaming accounted for over 40% of the company鈥檚 total upfront volume, on par with 2024, while sports advertising commitments across digital and linear were worth around $4 billion. Our take: As live sports viewers remain consistent and audiences increasingly turn to digital, Disney鈥檚 future growth depends on how well it can transform its streaming offerings into hubs for live sports.

The news: OpenAI鈥檚 GPT-5 could be the start of ChatGPT becoming a transaction-driven super app that monetizes user intent, not attention. GPT-5鈥檚 router鈥攚hich analyzes queries and decides how hard to 鈥渢hink鈥� based on complexity鈥攍ets OpenAI invest more resources during high-intent moments like 鈥渃ompare hiking boots under $200鈥� or 鈥渂est smart TVs for co-op gaming.鈥� Prioritizing queries with high commercial value could help OpenAI monetize users not through ads but via affiliate or take-rate revenues, per SemiAnalysis. Partnerships with Shopify and others suggest that monetization stack is already on the way. Our take: A full-service ChatGPT that鈥檚 intuitive enough to guide full shopping journeys inside a chatbot while keeping backend costs minimal could rewrite the AI platform鈥檚 business model. Brands should be working to optimize for AI-native commerce and integrate with agentic tools.

The news: Consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketers plan to hop on the AI train and scale up their retail, social, and connected TV (CTV) ad spending, but challenges around audience and data fragmentation remain. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of CPG marketers expect to increase their retail media spending in the second half of 2025, per MediaOcean鈥檚 2025 H2 Market Report, compared with 59% for social platforms and 55% for CTV. Our take: Using creative AI tools like one recently added to YouTube Shorts to resize and retarget content for different social platforms can maximize campaign reach. CPGs are huge advertisers, and when they pivot, they can influence the entire market. Broader marketers should follow their lead not only in spending but by immediately testing AI tools in high-impact internal areas like CTV creative or retail copy optimization.

The news: Fanatics launched Fanatics Advertising, a division that will oversee the company鈥檚 ad and brand partnership strategy across its commerce, collectibles, gaming, and events businesses. Our take: Fanatics is taking its swing at the fast-growing commerce media space. Commerce media represented 18.0% of US digital ad spending last year, and we expect its share to keep climbing鈥攈itting nearly $1 of every $5 spent on digital ads (19.7%) this year and close to $1 in $4 (24.8%) by 2029, the end of our forecast period. Sitting at the crossroads of sports fandom鈥攎erchandise, collectibles, betting, and live events鈥擣anatics has a brand position few, if any, rivals can match. If it executes well, Fanatics Advertising could be a home run by turning its unmatched access to fans into an equally powerful ad play.

Some 42% of US consumers listen to podcasts while they are doing household chores, outpacing those who listen while working or studying (30%), exercising or walking (30%), and while commuting (29%), according to YouGov鈥檚 鈥淪tate of US media consumption in 2025鈥� report. AUGUST 15, 2025. True or false? A majority of US adults think they consume too much digital content. False.

The agency found 71% of US marketers and 52% of UK marketers are now investing over $1 million annually in creator marketing. Per Dentsu Creative鈥檚 UK CEO, smaller influencers with 10,000 to 50,000 followers can now ask for rates on a similar level to mega-influencers with more than 1 million followers.

Home Depot is sharpening its pitch to non-endemic advertisers with a new partnership with Yahoo DSP. Non-endemic advertising could be a lucrative opportunity for RMNs鈥攂ut it comes with its own set of challenges. Retailers have to clearly articulate what advantages they offer compared with the rest of the (very crowded) field, while measuring the impact of non-incremental ads is more difficult given the absence of closed-loop attribution. Companies should also follow Home Depot鈥檚 lead in being strategic about the types of non-endemic advertisers they allow onto their platform. While the temptation might be to cast as wide a net as possible, limiting ad buys to brands in complementary categories will maximize effectiveness and minimize the confusion for shoppers.

International daily active users grew 41% YoY鈥攄ouble the US rate鈥攁nd Reddit鈥檚 $78.5 million in non-US revenues represented an 82% annual gain. Reddit now supports developing communities in 13 languages.

The news: Despite strides in streaming, linear TV still maintains an 86% share of overall ad impressions鈥攏early 17 billion daily impressions, per iSpot.tv. iSpot estimates that linear TV grew 3.3% in overall ad spend in the first sixth months of 2025, reaching $21.9 billion. Our take: While linear ads may lag behind the precision of CTV, they still command massive reach that drives results. Millions of viewers still watch live TV, preserving linear鈥檚 ad potential. A successful ad strategy will tap into its enduring influence while gradually allocating spend toward CTV to align with shifting viewing habits.

Fandom has partnered with Experian and Audigent to enhance its AI-driven Helix platform, integrating over 2,400 syndicated audience segments to deliver deeper fan insights. The move empowers marketers to combine third-party data with first-party fan behavior, unlocking targeting based on motivations, not just demographics. Early results show significant brand lift in awareness and purchase intent. This partnership marks Fandom鈥檚 evolution into a data-rich media platform, aiming to help advertisers tap into emotional fandom signals across CTV, mobile, and digital. Despite criticism over ad clutter, the platform鈥檚 scale and Gen Z reach position it as a leader in culture-driven targeting.

Nearly half (47%) of US brand and agency marketers named attribution and measurement their top investment priority for 2025, per October 2024 data from InMarket. Globally, 71% of marketers see advanced analytics and measurement as a key opportunity area, according to Digiday. That鈥檚 second only to improved testing and iteration (74%).

The news: Xfinity unveiled its StreamStore on Wednesday, raising the stakes in the connected TV (CTV) arms race by aggregating 450 apps and 200,000 titles with integrated billing. The one-stop interface turns Xfinity into a centralized gateway鈥攍ess a cable provider, more a streaming superstore, per Variety. Our take: CTV consolidation will streamline ad strategies, surfacing opportunities to tap bundles like StreamSaver for targeted sponsorships, co-branded campaigns, and contextual placements. It will also engage viewers across multiple services while reducing subscription fatigue. Advertisers will likely scramble to secure premium placements and test integrated campaigns within StreamStore鈥檚 bundled ecosystem before competition intensifies.

He also said AI mode already has 鈥渙ver 100 million MAUs in the US and India.鈥� One area we鈥檒l be watching closely is market share鈥攁nd whether or not user experience, as determined by users, is improving. Without churn or engagement metrics, investors are left guessing: Is Gemini defending market share, or just slowing the leak?

The insights: YouTube isn鈥檛 Google Search, and brands need to recognize it as a unique platform. Its algorithm prioritizes clicks, watch time, and retention over keywords. Brands and content marketers that rely on blog-style SEO risk getting buried as YouTube and Netflix battle for attention. Our take: Treating YouTube as a strategic content hub, not a recycling center, gives marketers and brands a competitive edge in reach, trust, and conversion potential. By mastering engagement levers鈥攃ompelling thumbnails, sharp hooks, and strong retention鈥攂rands can turn viewers into loyal subscribers and warm leads.

Sixty-six percent of the US population identify as sports fans, and over three-quarters of sports audio listeners take action after hearing ads in the content they鈥檙e consuming鈥攁 trend likely to translate to other digital mediums. Digital channels like social and streaming present a perfect opportunity to reach these engaged fans.

The news: NBCUniversal is exploring a dedicated sports cable network that would feature content鈥攊ncluding NBA games鈥攕hown on its Peacock streaming service, per a Wall Street Journal report. Our take: Launching a dedicated sports cable channel could help NBCU open the door to new ad inventory and bolster its cable revenues as traditional TV faces mounting pressure from the streaming transition. Live sports continues to command strong advertiser demand, even as general linear viewership declines.The channel will enable NBCU to better monetize its existing sports rights by repackaging content for cable audiences who might be losing interest in traditional TV.

US users consume an average of 3.9 hours of online content daily, while Canadian users consume around 3.7 hours. Yes, but: The findings confirm that digital content like mobile social media and CTV are an increasingly important touchpoint for advertisers as audience attention shifts鈥攂ut that major challenges persist.

The online survey of more than 4,000 US adults was conducted by The Harris Poll in early 2025. Digging into the data: Whether using mobile devices or connected TV, Black and Hispanic consumers are more likely to take action after seeing ads for medications.