What to look out for at the NewFronts: CTV and social video will shine at this week's digital upfront presentations, as both formats have grown rapidly over the past year.

On today's episode, we discuss whether TikTok is actually a top choice for social advertisers, how it compares with other ad channels, and what to make of the companies current shopping efforts. We then talk about Facebook's "meaningful pivot" around its ad business, the latest Federal Trade Commission suit against the social giant, and whether Reels on the blue app has potential. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Debra Aho Williamson.

Giving users more time in their videos may boost engagement on TikTok and potentially take a slice out of the longer-form social video market. (Watch out, YouTube!). IPG Mediabrands launches a new TikTok studio: The program will match TikTok creators with clients to provide feedback and guidance on campaign strategies.

NewFronts recap: Exclusive content on ad-supported platforms, shoppable shows, and creator-driven video content on social media were three major trends we saw at the NewFronts this past week.

eMarketer vice president of forecasting Monica Peart shares our social video ad spend estimatesand why Facebook remains on top.

eMarketer principal analyst Nicole Perrin and vice president of content studio Paul Verna face off on the topic of social media and how much it is to blame for our increasingly divided society. Then junior analyst Blake Droesch discusses social video content, how to reach young people in the morning and a new partnership between Verizon and Snapchat.

Since launching in the US in 2017, social video app TikTok has exploded in popularity. But after nearly doubling its US user base last year, growth for the Chinese-owned app will slow in the coming years as competition heats up and concerns grow among marketers.

The situation seems ripe for fracturing the social video audience, and that will in turn fracture marketers’ social video plans. Of course, the typically raw and unpolished content that appears in a story is different from the typically scripted and choreographed content in a short entertainment video (there are, of course, exceptions to both).

Alibaba is still the leader in livestreaming ecommerce, but social video platforms are hot on its heels. China’s premier short-form video social media apps Kuaishou and Douyin were slower to launch their livestreaming ecommerce services. However, both have invested substantial resources into building out this functionality, and the results are evident.

All five of the major app categories—audio, social, video, messaging, and gaming—gained minutes in 2020, led by social apps, which gained 9 minutes. Most gains will stick in 2021 except for small dips in mobile messaging and gaming time, both of which will lose less than a minute. The big loser in terms of time spent in 2020, travel apps, will likely rebound in 2021 as well.