Ad tech leader PubMatic and self-service connected TV (CTV) ad platform MNTN have teamed up to give smaller advertisers access to prime CTV property, per Adweek. Smaller advertisers can take advantage of the PubMatic-MNTN deal to initiate or accelerate investment in a high barrier to entry format with proven results as CTV evolves into a more inclusive marketplace.
As CTV ad spending accelerates, buyers are shifting focus from convenience to performance—zooming in on ad quality, viewer experience, and actionable signals that drive measurable impact. Nearly half of global agencies and demand-side platforms (47%) prioritize ad quality and a positive user experience, per BCG and Google. Easy integration, responsive customer support, and platforms’ ease of use rank far lower. Marketers should push for consistent data-sharing and collaboration with publishers to turn CTV from an experimental channel into a predictable growth engine.
After months of public and regulatory pressure, Instagram announced a sweeping overhaul of how teens experience the platform by applying the same “PG-13” principles used by the film industry. Its goal is to limit exposure to adult or explicit content and curb the backlash over teen well-being. Instagram’s PG-13 turn marks a new phase in platform governance where safety, not scale, defines success, and where brands must earn trust in a shrinking, more sheltered teen arena. Brands now need to create more nuanced campaigns to reach younger users without running afoul of guardrails or further alienating minors.
As pharma marketers and ad agencies begin to shift ad dollars from traditional linear to digital CTV, media buying is moving from programs and broad demo buys to data-driven audience targeting. Healthcare and pharma marketers have long relied on the broad reach and frequency of linear TV, but need to recognize the growing power of CTV. Marketers shouldn’t think of CTV as a replacement, but as a performance layer on top of linear’s scale and reach.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how linear TV ad dollars are still managing to outweigh CTV ad dollars, what’s primarily responsible for driving growth in out-of-home ad spending this year, and if some new high-profile print media initiatives can stem the print ad spend bleeding. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Analyst, Ross Benes, and Senior Forecasting Analyst, Zach Goldner. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
“Gaming is one of the most engaging channels, and what makes it particularly interesting is its ability to convert taps into transactions,” said Maya Kosovalic, vice president of marketing at L’Oréal-owned NYX Professional Makeup during Advertising Week New York.
A US-TikTok deal could be on thin ice again amid heightened trade tensions after President Trump threatened a 100% tariff on Chinese imports. Beijing has promised to respond to the tariffs accordingly—putting the popular short-form app’s US future at risk weeks after Trump signed an executive order to keep the app operational. Brands must recognize TikTok’s ongoing strength as a cultural engine among younger demographics, but continue viewing cross-platform strategies as a necessity, not a nice-to-have.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) reportedly rejected a proposed acquisition from Paramount Skydance, claiming that its offer of $20 per share was “too low,” per Bloomberg reporting. WBD’s rejection signals that some legacy media players see more value in restructuring themselves than in merging on the cheap.
OpenAI announced a blockbuster deal to design its own AI chips in collaboration with Broadcom, continuing a trend of AI companies seeking partnerships and investments to own both ends of the AI stack, per The New York Times. OpenAI’s Broadcom deal is a turning point in AI strategy—from chasing smarter models to securing the power that fuels them. For enterprises, this is the moment to pick sides. The competitive advantage in the next decade belongs to those who align with partners that control their infrastructure, not just their algorithms.
Streaming is becoming a critical investment for marketers as the format evolves and continues to chip away at linear TV’s dominance. In an exclusive EMARKETER interview at Advertising Week New York, Reed Kiely, director of data insights and trends at the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB), outlined how marketers can tap into streaming’s potential and what will define success in a fragmented ecosystem. Marketers should follow audience attention and gradually allocate more budget to streaming services—but “prioritize quality content and ad experiences” as fragmentation heats up.
YouTube creators are becoming media companies in their own right, argues Nic Paul, co-founder and president of Spotter. In an interview, Paul said top creators now operate like TV networks—producing serialized, appointment-style content that builds audience loyalty and predictable viewership. Spotter’s own data shows 78% of creator watch time now happens on connected TVs, blurring the line between streaming and social. For advertisers, that means treating creator content as premium media, not influencer collateral. “The click is gone,” Paul said. “It’s about engagement, completion, and fandom.” Brands that adapt fastest will win the next era of audience attention.
Linear TV and streaming have mastered how to present ad products alongside their top talent to win marketing dollars, and more audio players are following suit. On Monday, SiriusXM hosted “Built with Audio,” an upfront-style showcase scheduled around Advertising Week New York that packaged talent interviews and performances with executive presentations tailored to an audience of marketers.
Linear TV ad spending grew in Q3 despite total TV ad impressions declining, per iSpot data. Ad spend increased 4% YoY, reaching $8.77 billion—but total impressions fell 2.7% to 1.67 trillion. Total ad minutes rose 2.4% YoY to 5.3 million, driven by the rise of sports inventory. Marketers must understand that a successful ad strategy requires a balance— investing in linear to drive outcomes while slowly shifting toward CTV for better targeting and to align with audience viewing habits.
Novo Nordisk lost its federal appeals court challenge of the prescription drug price negotiation program in the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) prescription drug price negotiation program, which could open the door for even more price checks. We see a path where the current administration revamps, or simply rebrands, IRA price negotiations as CMS negotiations to save taxpayer money and help consumers. Brands under pressure to drop prices through the IRA and executive orders should continue those good–faith efforts but also encourage the administration to put the same pressure on insurance companies and pharmaceutical benefit managers to lower healthcare costs.
Entertainment brands are partnering with influencers to drive engagement with Hollywood properties, according to an Advertising Week New York panel of film and TV industry leaders and creators. While partnering with creators for Hollywood productions is especially important amid volatile box office revenues struggling to reach pre-pandemic levels, the panel’s insights stretch to all marketers working with influencers.
This sponsored article by Nielsen explores how advertising intelligence helps marketers close measurement gaps.
The number of video streaming services that users subscribe to is rebounding after a weak 2024, per TiVo’s Q2 2025 Video Trends, marking the sector’s resilience. A primary catalyst for that growth? Bundles. Consumers in the US and Canada paid for an average of seven video streaming services in Q2 2025, up from just five in Q2 2024. The fragmented network of streaming services means brands need to prioritize content type and context, not specific streamers, to best reach audiences. Collecting metadata on content’s genre, tone, and mood could help marketers best align placements with audience intent and emotion.
At Advertising Week New York 2025, Paramount announced Streaming Fixed Units, an update to its ad offerings for Paramount+ that gives brands premium, fixed ad placements for the debut week of episodes for Paramount series. Brands can leverage Paramount’s newest offering to take advantage of cultural moments, increasing the chances that streaming ads will connect at the right time—but should consider that other platforms with bigger audiences could also tap into this shift more effectively.
Connected TV (CTV) ad spending is a key focus for most marketers, but a substantial confidence gap persists. Over half (52%) of US technology, financial services, retail, and healthcare brands have shifted at least one-quarter of their paid media budgets to CTV in the past three years, per Gracenote. Despite that change, 32% of US brand and agency executives say their CTV advertising is not very effective. By boosting focus on channel-level contextual targeting and integrating metadata, marketers can ensure ads appear alongside relevant programming—like sports events, entertainment genres, or family-friendly shows—improving resonance and reach.
Paramount is betting on creator credibility to rebuild trust in mainstream news. The company’s $150 million acquisition of The Free Press brings its founder, Bari Weiss, to CBS News as editor-in-chief—an unprecedented crossover between creator-led media and legacy broadcasting. Weiss’s Substack-born outlet, with 1.5 million subscribers, will remain independent while lending its audience trust to Paramount’s broader news portfolio. The move reflects a growing convergence between individual-led journalism and traditional networks struggling to regain public confidence. Success will hinge on whether CBS and The Free Press can balance editorial independence with corporate oversight while preserving the authenticity audiences value most.