Nielsen and Lionsgate are broadening their partnership to incorporate measurement of MovieSphere, Lionsgate’s free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel, and its digital network MovieSphere Gold. Understanding the overlap and unique reach of FAST and OTA helps advertisers optimize media strategies and gain a more complete view of campaign performance.
Nine in 10 US consumers are open to watching TikTok-style vertical clips on publisher sites, according to a new survey from Media.net, pointing the way to how audiences consume content and where brands can meet them. Clips shorter than 60 seconds deliver roughly 2.5x higher engagement, per Media.net. By offering targeted vertical video on their websites and mobile apps, publishers can ramp up engagement and time spent. Brands integrating in-stream ads and links on these websites and apps could open up a new funnel for engagement.
The New York Times is posting advertising momentum as its proprietary AI stack reshapes how marketers reach premium audiences. Q3 ad revenues climbed 11.8%, with digital ads rising more than 20% and generative AI tool BrandMatch now powering more than 150 campaigns. NYT’s first-party data engine interprets emotional cues, reading patterns, and topic affinities to deliver precise contextual placements—fueling strong campaign lift for partners such as Crown Publishing and Belmond. With 11.76 million digital subscribers and a diversified product suite, NYT’s fully owned ecosystem gives it targeting capabilities most publishers cannot replicate.
Netflix, Comcast, and Paramount have all submitted acquisition bids for some or all of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), sources told Deadline, starting a bidding war that would fundamentally reshape the media landscape. Regardless of the outcome, a restructuring of WBD will impact marketers by unlocking the ability to increase audience reach, run integrated campaigns across premium properties, and simplify media buying.
As CTV investment accelerates, so does scrutiny. Marketers face pressure to validate every ad dollar, yet measurement across connected TV (CTV) remains fractured and disconnected from the outcomes that matter: Sales.
Creative supply-side platform TripleLift announced an expansion of its programmatic pause ads offering on Thursday, giving publishers a one-stop shop for scaling the innovative connected TV (CTV) ad format. Investing in new capabilities like TripleLift’s expanded programmatic pause ad opportunity will prove critical as the format continues to drive measurable action. But as more brands turn to pause ads, those that stand out will be the ones who listen to user preferences.
Sports rights continue to fragment in the digital-first era with Major League Baseball’s (MLB) new media rights deals across Netflix, NBC, and ESPN. The MLB spreading game rights across platforms exacerbates the fragmentation issue advertisers are already facing. With fragmentation only likely to increase, brands that thrive will invest in strategic cross-platform campaigns and keep budgets flexible to follow viewers where they’re watching.
US connected TV (CTV) viewers fall back on YouTube when they can’t find anything else to watch, per Hub Entertainment Research. Ninety percent of 16- to 34-year-olds turn to YouTube at least sometimes when other streaming services don’t meet their viewing needs. Nearly three-quarters viewers age 35 and older make that switch at least sometimes. Poorly performing search and recommendation tools may be partially to blame. Streamers should target demographics and viewer interests and behaviors via platform analytics and interactive or live polls to capture attention, earn trust, and boost stickiness.
Amazon is going all-in on AI-powered advertising solutions for small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). SMBs can now create high-quality campaigns without requiring costly resources, giving SMBs access to creative capabilities that were once out of reach.
Podcast hosts are the most influential creators among weekly listeners, with 56% saying hosts have the greatest impact, per a Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights report. Recognizing the unique ability of podcast hosts to drive outcomes compared with other influencer types is critical—but as the podcast space becomes more saturated, brands need to seek hosts with specific attributes.
Broadcast TV’s share of viewing declined YoY in October despite inching up slightly from the prior month thanks to the NFL season, per Nielsen’s total TV/streaming estimates. Meanwhile, streaming continued to increase its viewership share—highlighting how live sports viewers are increasingly shifting to digital. Those who thrive in the shift to digital will steadily increase budgets for sports streaming while still maintaining some investment in cable and broadcast to reach the many live sports viewers who continue to watch through traditional channels.
Magnite launched a Live Scheduler tool on Tuesday, an industry-first asset that enables media owners to seamlessly plan, execute, and evaluate ad campaigns around live events. Live Scheduler turns chaotic, real-time tentpole events into a predictable, scalable, and programmatic marketplace—giving advertisers the opportunity to capitalize on major cultural moments without as much unpredictability.
Albertsons Media Collective and NBCUniversal introduced a closed-loop measurement capability that promises to give advertisers better insight into CTV ad performance. While the partnership benefits both companies, there’s arguably more at stake for Albertsons. Like the vast majority of retail media networks, it is looking for ways to keep its ad business competitive as the majority of dollars flow to Amazon and Walmart. Albertsons aims to stay competitive by leaning into fast-growing CTV, strengthening its loyalty program, and leveraging its store footprint for in-store activations.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three big questions surrounding Meta in Q3 and beyond: How will AI-generated social video affect social media? What’s the biggest takeaway regarding Meta using AI chatbot conversations to target ads? And do Meta's new smart glasses really have a future? Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Analyst Emmy Liederman, and Principal Analyst Minda Smiley. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.