On today's podcast episode, we discuss the biggest gaps between where Americans spend their time and where advertisers spend their money. We explore the disconnect in social media, the imbalance in subscription OTT, and why digital audio continues to be a dark horse. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Principal Forecasting Writer Ethan Cramer-Flood and Senior Director of Forecasting Oscar Orozco. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

Advertisers who block news content are missing opportunities to reach engaged, high-value audiences while inadvertently undermining the financial foundation of quality journalism. “Advertisers are allergic to the news, oftentimes for the wrong reason,” said Michael Weaver, senior vice president of business development and growth at Al Jazeera Media Network during EMARKETER’s Reframing Brand Safety in News Environments event last week. “But it's so neglected as a category, it's easy for a brand to distinguish itself when it really leans into the news.”

Consumers are collecting memberships much faster than they're building habits. The average consumer now belongs to 17.4 loyalty programs, up 60% over the past decade, according to Upside’s “Escaping the loyalty plateau” report. But active participation has risen just 8% over the same period, to 8.4 programs.