Programmatic and addressable ad buying are both growing their share of the linear TV market. But the long-term picture for each is hampered by the overall decline of traditional TV.

For years, retail media potential seemed limitless as growth skyrocketed while retail media networks launched one after the other. Today, retail media is entering a fundamentally different growth phase. During an afternoon eventat Cannes produced by EMARKETER and Sensor Tower, our analyst Sarah Marzano described an industry transitioning from expansion at all costs to a greater focus on efficiency, differentiation, and measurable outcomes.

Currency debates are fading as advertisers shift to outcome-based measurement. As performance takes priority, marketers are focusing more on lower-funnel outcomes, while measurement vendors double down on specialized offerings.

This FAQ explores the agency ecosystem, the forces reshaping it, and what marketers should consider when evaluating agency partners.

Mozilla SVP Suba Vasudevan argues that digital advertising’s next frontier isn’t automation—it’s accountability. In her view, trust is no longer a soft metric but a measurable driver of performance. As advertisers recoil from fraud, opacity, and unsafe inventory, Firefox Ads positions itself as the premium alternative: a clean, privacy-first space where engagement aligns with user consent. The data backs her up—CPMs are climbing, and brands are paying more for quality—but the shift remains uneven. Many still prize efficiency over ethics. For marketers, the new equation is clear: trust and performance are converging, and only one will sustain the other.

Cannes Lions, an annual opportunity for advertisers to score accolades for their creativity, is refining its agenda to acknowledge how that work drives business.

Connected TV (CTV) is booming in households and becoming significantly more important for advertisers.

85% of US brand and agency decision-makers consider Nielsen alternatives to be more or just as effective than the legacy currency provider, per a July 2024 Advertiser Perceptions study.

Nielsen is sunsetting its legacy panel-only measurement this year. What do advertisers need to know as they prepare to transact on big data-based metrics at scale?

CTV inventory has surged, but the linear TV ad market remains much larger.

Streaming services are offering a multitude of bundles as they try to expand their ad-supported audiences.

Advertisers and tech vendors look to capitalize on CTV’s growing importance in digital advertising.

Total upfront ad spending will grow this year, even though upfront TV commitments will decline.

The price tag on agency reviews is going up: Plus, they’re time-consuming, disrupt workflows, and raise concerns about fee structures amid rising costs.

Streaming makes ad spending gains, Netflix experiences growing pains, and advertisers encounter a soft upfront market.

This report is a guideline to help marketers understand connected TV through market size estimates, growth projections, and analysis of the complex landscape of ad buyers and sellers.

As economic uncertainty lingers, the dust has yet to settle on the TV currency battlefield. We review what’s changed since last year and which networks support which Nielsen alternatives.

These days, more TV inventory is addressable than not. But even as streaming audiences expand and technology advances, fragmentation of inventory and data is proving a barrier to success for advanced TV advertisers.

Major streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ dive into advertising while more viewers cut the pay TV cord.