This FAQ examines in-game ad formats, audience demographics, and emerging opportunities like rewarded advertising that are reshaping how brands connect with gamers across platforms.
Brands should plan for campaigns around live events while treating streaming as a test bed for targeting.
Semafor’s rise shows publishers are supplementing inconsistent ad revenues with events and sponsorships.
Spotify outlines how AI, automation, and immersive experiences will reshape how brands connect with consumers in 2026.
Roku’s $2.99 ad-free service challenges ad-heavy models, eyeing a forgotten tier between FAST and pricey subs.
Simpler sponsorship tools and wider access help brands tap into engaged, purchase-ready listeners.
Europe, Middle East, Africa rise in consumer tech: Brands must pivot as regional trade-up demand and connected living drive growth beyond North America.
Disney+ is adopting vertical video to drive daily habits; the format’s expansion aligns with marketer demand for mobile-native surfaces that blend awareness with measurable engagement.
Roku and iSpot integration marks tighter CTV attribution loop: iSpot’s product aims to lessen intermediaries between ad spending and performance data.
Discord is preparing for its IPO; its youthful, highly engaged communities signal rising advertiser interest in participatory platforms as alternatives to feed-driven social media.
The ad industry kept busy during the holiday season, so we rounded up the biggest stories from the last two weeks you need to know about.
Starbucks is sponsoring the second season of Amazon Prime’s reality competition “Beast Games: Strong vs. Smart” to try to reignite brand buzz.
Wall-sized TVs, smart rings, and humanoid robots make once-futuristic ideas ready for your living room.
CTV ad clarity gets a boost: DoubleVerify’s new tool streamlines planning and reporting to fix performance blind spots in streaming. Read online
AI will reshape premium video buying—and NBCUniversal’s proof-of-concept shows agentic systems can unify planning and optimization across linear and streaming in seconds.
Netflix’s 2026 ad plans revolve around WBD: The mega-merger would give the burgeoning ad business a major boost for years to come.
Disney will fully fold Hulu content into Disney+ by 2026, transforming Disney+ into a broader streaming portal spanning family programming, general entertainment, news, and sports. Hulu’s brand will remain intact inside the app, but its slowing revenue trajectory—expected to reach nearly $12 billion by 2027—has accelerated the logic for consolidation. The strategy becomes more important as Netflix pursues its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, potentially creating the most powerful premium-content library in streaming. Disney must keep viewers inside its ecosystem longer, reduce churn, and strengthen its ad-supported tiers. Success depends on balancing Hulu’s adult content with Disney+’s family identity while expanding perceived value.
Asia-Pacific ad growth will remain steady in 2026 as momentum shifts to digital, retail media, and CTV. Rising demand for premium video contrasts with uneven expansion across fast-growing and mature markets.