The news: Amazon is shutting down its standalone free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platform Freevee in August. All Freevee contentâincluding original series and live TVâwill migrate to Prime Video. Advertisers take heed: As streaming giants consolidate, ad buyers might see fewer platforms but more fragmented audiences. This centralization of inventory boosts scale but narrows options for niche targeting. Our take: Amazon and its rivals are bundling content into fewer apps to boost ad revenue and reduce churn. But for advertisers, viewer behavior is splintering as audiences jump between services each month, chasing new shows, deals, and lower costs.
The news: Baidu has launched MuseSteamer, an enterprise-only AI tool that converts images into 10-second videos using three output modesâTurbo, Pro, and Liteâwhile upgrading its core search engine to support multimodal inputs. The tool targets businesses looking for scalable, automated creative output. Our take: With nearly half of marketers and creators now using AI for video daily, Baidu is doubling down on the enterprise market. MuseSteamer distinguishes itself from consumer-facing tools by offering speed, reliability, and tight workflow integration. As video becomes the default for content, the winners will be platforms that deliver pro-grade output without creative friction.
The news: AMC Entertainmentâs stock plummeted 7.4% on Tuesday, per TipRanks, after the chain started running additional ads before screeningsâbuilding on AMCâs 27.8% YTD loss. AMC simultaneously announced a debt and financing agreement that included $223 million in new financing for debt maturing in 2026 and converting at least $143 million worth of existing debt into equity. Our take: Higher ad revenues for AMC could offset the chainâs financial difficulties, but its refinancing plan shows ads alone arenât enough. Investors are seeking a clear path to consistent profitability.
The news: Paramount has settled a lawsuit with Donald Trump after the president sued the company following a â60 Minutesâ interview with Kamala Harris that he argued contained âdeceptive doctoring,â the company announced Tuesday. Sources cited by The Hollywood Reporter claim the lawsuit posed a threat to Paramountâs pending merger with Skydance, which will require the Trump administrationâs approval. Our take: While the settlement could pave the way for Paramount and Skydanceâs merger, it raises questions about the future of media companies who are perceived as holding a liberal biasâand concerns about increasing censorship in the current political environment.
The only certain thing about TikTokâs sale is more uncertainty: Washington keeps kicking the can on a US sale, leaving TikTok to convince advertisers not to panic.
The trend: Gen Z is opting out of both traditional pay TV and ad-supported streaming tiers, signaling deeper changes in viewing behavior. Just 42% of Gen Z subscribers use ad-supported SVOD, while less than half of all US households now maintain a pay TV subscription. Our take: Streamingâs future depends on reaching the next generation, but current modelsâespecially ad-supported tiersâarenât meeting Gen Z where they are. With only 1.3 hours of streaming and 0.8 hours of traditional TV per day, Gen Z prefers social video, gaming, and music. To stay relevant, platforms must prioritize native formats, interactivity, and creator integration over legacy ad models.
The news: Appleâs F1: The Movie made $144 million globally in its opening weekend, becoming the companyâs first box office success after prior flops. With standout reviews and marketing synced across the Apple ecosystem, the Brad Pitt-led film was driven by premium formats like IMAX and high youth turnout. Our take: F1 validates Appleâs blockbuster ambitions, but success here is about more than ticket sales. Itâs a brand-building tool, aimed at strengthening Apple TV+ and its wider services. Turning big-screen moments into lasting streaming growth is the next testâespecially as Apple balances cost, competition, and the evolving economics of global theatrical releases.
The news: YouTube launched an AI search function that could streamline the content discovery journey but pose problems for smaller creators and influencers. The feature gives users a carousel of relevant videos in response to their search queries, similar to Googleâs AI Overviews. Our take: With YouTubeâs vast content library, AI search could help users find relevant content faster, though opacity around how its algorithm surfaces videos means creators may need to experiment with keywords and video titles to see which strategies get their content placed in AI video carousels.
The news: Higgsfieldâs Soul is the latest AI-powered image- and video-generation service thatâs fine-tuned for âfashion-grade realism,â making the output resemble professional photos and videos without the plasticky, overprocessed feel of typical AI visuals. Our take: For less than $10 a month, freelancers and marketing teams can now fast-track campaign proposals and client pitches with high-quality visuals. As AI tools become more accessible, the advantage goes to creatives who learn to shape them strategicallyâthose are the ones whoâll win the big contracts. Marketers should treat tools like Soul it as an accelerant, not a replacement. Use it to prototype fast, align on visual direction, and cut production waste.
The news: Linear ad impressions declined 4.25% YoY in Q1, falling from about 92% of impressions in early 2023 to around 86% in March 2025, per iSpotâs Q1 TV Ad Transparency Report. But despite the decline, linear ad spend grew 4% in Q1, reaching $12.34 billionâindicating that while audience preferences are shifting, advertiser interest in linear remains steady. Our take: The most effective ad strategies will strike a balance between sustaining investment in linear to capitalize on its scale and reliability, and steadily increasing investment in streaming to align with evolving viewer behavior and future-proof campaign performance.
The news: Connected TV (CTV) commands higher attention metrics (AU) than online video (OLV) and display advertising thanks in part to its wide variety of interactive ad formats, per industry KPI data provided by Adelaide. Our take: CTV's growing attention metrics reflects its shift toward becoming a performance marketing channel
The news: Spotifyâs Partner Program has opened new monetization paths for video podcasters, enabling MP4 uploads and revenue through ads and subscriptions. Creators like Ryth report earning over $55,000 per month, surpassing YouTube earnings. However, the model doesnât support dynamic ads for premium subscribers, prompting networks to hold back. Why it matters: Nearly half of all digital media time is spent on video, and Spotify is betting big on that trendâespecially among Gen Z, who increasingly prefer video-first podcast formats. Our take: Spotifyâs approach may alienate ad-heavy networks for now, but videoâs growth and creator enthusiasm suggest its long-term strategy is sound.
The news: The 2025 NBA Finals drew just 10.2 million viewers on average, among the weakest results in two decadesâyet Game 7 peaked at 19.3 million, the highest since 2019. Traditional ratings miss the full picture, though: social views on NBA Finals content soared 215% year over year to 5 billion. Our take: Gen Z sports fans are watching differentlyâvia highlights, short clips, and mobile-first formats on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. TV still matters, but leagues like the NBA must master new distribution models. With streaming growth and a massive $76B media deal in place, the future is already digital.
The news: Google reduced its sub-$500 million smart TV budget by 10%, laid off a quarter of its 300-person TV staff, and scaled back investments in connected TV (CTV) initiatives like Google TV and Android TV, per The Information. The latest changes prioritize YouTube and cloud, which now drive Alphabetâs $110 billion annual run rate. Our take: Advertisers should reallocate budgets toward YouTubeâs growing ad ecosystem while exploring emerging CTV platforms like Roku and Amazon Fire TV. Googleâs retreat creates openings for competitors to capture market share in CTV advertising.
96.3% of Gen Zers are digital video viewers, compared to 80.5% of the overall US population, per our May 2025 forecast.
The news: Advertisers are prioritizing interactive video ads to capture users and boost engagement as social media and YouTube consume ad spend. 52% of advertisers expect to use interactive features in at least 26% of their ads this year, per Digiday and PadSquadâs 2025 State of the Industry survey. Only 7% neither use and nor plan to use interactive video features in their ads. Our take: In a saturated media market, getting and keeping consumersâ attention is a difficult endeavor. Integrating gamified features and personalized media elements can help ensure that marketing campaigns are seen and not just scrolled past.
The news: At Cannes Lions 2025, Netflix announced it has added Yahooâs DSP to its growing list of programmatic partners, joining Google, The Trade Desk, and Microsoft. The expansion boosts flexibility for advertisers targeting Netflixâs 94 million monthly ad-tier users across 12 countries, with new capabilities for first-party data and interest-based buying. Our take: With its Ads Suite now live globally, Netflix is done crawlingâitâs competing directly with YouTube and social platforms for CTV budgets. As its per-user ad revenues rebound and its content ecosystem broadens, Netflix is evolving into a full-funnel marketing platform poised to reshape premium video monetization.
Over 260 million people in the USâmore than 77% of the populationâwill watch over-the-top (OTT) video this year, according to a March EMARKETER forecast. Of these, nearly all will be watching YouTube.
Two-thirds of US retail media buyers expect to spend more on video advertising over the next 12 months, according to March 2025 data from Koddi. Nearly as many (63%) will up their investments in social media.
Netflix House shows the power of brand marketing: The streamerâs retail play capitalizes on cheap real estate and consumer demand for experiences.