TikTok’s 2026 looks just as uncertain as 2025: Despite new US owners, questions remain about content moderation and its algorithm
Reels video views for luxury brands grew 234% in Q2 2025, while TikTok slowed as brands face a shift that necessitates a rebalance in content distribution.
Major shifts from aging cohorts to rising media time and uneven AI adoption set the stage for another unpredictable year. Here are five charts to help your business understand these changes and kick-start the new year.
Audiences say TV is the most acceptable place for advertising, but amid the shift to digital for younger buyers, a balanced approach is critical.
Once a TikTok trend, vertical video is now a core format reshaping ads, news, and entertainment apps.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss our “very specific but highly unlikely” predictions for 2026: what Amazon will do with the price of Prime; between OpenAI and Apple, who’s most likely to buy whom; and why a potential WBD acquisition by Netflix might not go through in 2026—if at all. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Principal Analyst Nate Elliott, and Vice Presidents of Content Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
YouTube users streamed over 700 million hours of video podcasts on their TVs in October. That’s nearly double the 400 million hours in October 2024, per Bloomberg. Video podcasts are an increasingly popular medium that streamers like Spotify, and even Netflix, are racing to support. Marketers should capitalize on the flexibility of YouTube’s cross-format reach to test creative placements in video podcast content, repurpose social video assets for CTV consumption, and gain greater insights into conversion and visibility than can be offered by linear TV.
Even as the majority of podcasters (71%) use video, per Sounds Profitable, video podcast ads are falling short of driving purchases compared with audio ads. YouTube’s video podcast ads are 18% to 25% less effective than audio downloads at driving users to purchase, according to an Oxford Road and Podscribe study. Video podcast consumption is growing, and YouTube remains the largest media platform globally, but advertisers looking to target podcast consumers specifically must make audio a core part of their campaign planning.
NBCUniversal (NBCU) debuted AI-powered ad features ahead of the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in 2026, giving advertisers the opportunity to leverage AI for better results in live TV and video-on-demand properties. Campaigns running on NBCU properties now gain access to the massive benefits of utilizing AI for TV, CTV, and VOD advertising.
The Academy Awards will leave ABC after nearly 50 years and stream exclusively on YouTube beginning in 2029—a decisive acknowledgment that audience attention has migrated to digital TV. The deal gives the Academy expanded year-round programming options, flexible sponsorship formats, and a global distribution footprint that linear networks can no longer match. YouTube, now the No. 1 source of US TV viewing time at 13%, gains a premier cultural event as it continues its push into live programming alongside NFL Sunday Ticket. For marketers, the Oscars’ move underscores how YouTube has become the industry’s default television—and a must-buy for premium reach.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) rejected Paramount’s hostile acquisition bid Wednesday and told its shareholders the offer is “inferior” to Netflix’s bid. WBD’s board said Paramount’s offer carried "significant risks,” adding that it does not see a “material difference” in the risks Paramount will face compared with Netflix in receiving approval in the US and globally. Consolidation will reshape ad market dynamics regardless of WBD’s fate.
WPP Media and YouTube are expanding their partnership to bring non-public YouTube video and creator data into WPP’s AI system WPP Open, per a press release. Taking advantage of WPP Media’s offering gives advertisers the ability to partner with creators on the most popular social platform in a far more measurable, practical, and effective way than before.
Samsung Ads announced an integration with Amazon Publisher Cloud that connects Samsung’s advertising system with Amazon’s in-depth ad data tools. Ad campaigns can now deliver broader reach and more relevant messaging by pairing Samsung’s Smart TV audience data with Amazon’s streaming, shopping, and browsing insights. As the CTV and Smart TV spaces rapidly expand, advertisers still struggle to reach viewers with the same level of targeting and measurement available on digital platforms. Brands operating within Samsung’s ad ecosystem can now tap into Amazon’s advanced audience insights to more precisely reach consumers who may have previously overlooked their ads.
45% of creators prioritize working with high-quality brands above all else when evaluating brand deals, according to a July survey from Ipsos and Publicis Media.
After Netflix won the bidding war and Paramount pushed forward with a hostile bid, a new possibility is emerging for the fate of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). The Information reports a possible compromise between Netflix and Paramount, where Netflix would acquire WBD’s studio assets and Paramount would be in charge of its HBO Max streaming service and cable networks. Netflix remains the frontrunner without any conclusive regulatory action preventing the acquisition, but Paramount remains the best option for advertisers.
42% of consumers discuss sporting events with friends or family after seeing out-of-home (OOH) ads, according to a September report from The Harris Poll.
New tools let creators link to brand sites in Shorts ads, driving fast conversions during peak shopping season.
Universal Ads announced Thursday an expansion of its Universal Audience Network in partnership with third-party publishers, including Samsung Ads, Cox Media, Philo, Vevo, and Telly. New partnerships enable marketers to scale campaigns with simplicity as Universal Audience Network maintains an over 90% household reach across premium video. Universal Ads is tackling one of streaming’s biggest pain points—fragmentation—by consolidating access to the streaming and connected TV (CTV) ecosystem.
WunderKIND Ads announced an integration with Yahoo DSP Thursday that will unlock scalable access to Wunderkind’s connected TV (CTV) pause ad inventory through private marketplace (PMP) deals. Wunderkind’s and Yahoo DSP’s integration delivered a 12.6% lift in purchase intent for what the announcement refers to as a “leading luxury retailer”; an almost 10% lift in brand favorability; and a 28% more cost-effective CPC than the retailer’s holiday average. Those using Yahoo DSP can now take advantage of Wunderkind’s high-performing pause ads, unlocking scalable access to formats proven to lift purchase intent, strengthen brand perception, and drive more efficient results.
YouTube TV will offer over 10 new, genre-specific subscription bundles in 2026, with one option focused on sports, per a company announcement. YouTube TV Sports Plan will give users access to major sports networks and broadcasters that the pay TV provider offers, including NBC Sports Network, all ESPN networks and ESPN Unlimited, and FS1. Advertisers who thrive will rely on an omnichannel approach that keeps track of where viewers are watching while simultaneously accounting for the enduring relevance of linear to reach sports audiences.