On today's episode, we discuss free, ad-supported video: Who are the major players, how do these services fit into people’s media diets, and how do they attract advertisers? Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer senior forecasting analyst Eric Haggstrom and forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Nazmul Islam.

In December, we published our first forecast for Pluto TV ad revenues. Pluto TV, a free streaming service operated by ViacomCBS, will receive $786.7 million in net US ad revenues in 2021, a 77.7% increase over the previous year. In 2022, Pluto TV’s net US ad revenues will surpass $1 billion annually for the first time.

Streamers battle for sports rights: Media companies are hinting at new plans to use live sports to drive streaming subscriptions, which could grow the audience of sport fans who can be targeted through digital channels.

Our forecasts are based on an analysis of data from research firms, online and mobile tracking services, government agencies, media firms, public companies, and interviews with industry experts. Data is weighted based on methodology and soundness.

In a related move, Bloomberg reported that Facebook is developing a tool, called Super, that would allow livestream viewers to pay content creators and celebrities to interact with them during a live broadcast. With Super, viewers can buy the livestream hosts digital gifts or pay to have their own video stream appear alongside them. Creators will also be able to sell products during the broadcast.

On today's episode, we discuss some digital audio developments from Spotify and iHeartMedia, how podcast advertising can add value, in-car audio entertainment, and what the first flavor of advertising on social audio platforms will look like. We then talk about what to expect from this years' Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Podcast Upfronts, how people are approaching podcast moderation, and the market for podcasts created for children. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Peter Vahle.

In Jacobs Media polling in February 2020, 64.0% reported watching digital/streaming video daily, vs. 43.7% of total respondents. Digital video usage got a boost as the pandemic struck. As reported in a September 2020 Marketing Charts article, Nielsen found Hispanics’ weekly streaming time rising by 8 hours a week in March. “It’s a digital-first audience, so they’re streaming,” H Code’s Morse said.

YouTube Music Premium is the ad-free version of the standalone subscription music-streaming service, priced at $10 a month.