Football is commanding more media budgets as premium ad inventory gets pricier and college sponsorship options expand. Now, brands face a widening trade-off between its unmatched reach and rising ad costs.

Last November, we identified 11 trends we expected to shape the business landscape in 2026. Our Trends 2026 update reveals where expectations are holding, where surprises have emerged, and what businesses should watch through year-end.

Media companies, tech giants, and retailers could face dramatic shifts if sports viewership declines, Meta loses billions in youth safety lawsuits, or AI transforms every product placement into personalized ad inventory. Sports rights spending is on track to hit about $70 billion a year by 2030, and every dollar of it comes out of something else. "The amount that media companies are paying for sports rights continues to climb. It's gonna be about $70 billion a year by 2030, and it's taking away from what they do otherwise," said our analyst Ross Benes on a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers." Three scenarios below look unlikely today. Each would rewrite how these businesses operate.

Nielsen to acquire DoubleVerify for $2.15 billion: The deal pairs audience measurement with verification, improving CTV accountability.

YouTube is becoming TV. As its viewing shifts to TV screens and ad budgets blur across channels, marketers need to rethink where TV ends and digital video begins.

Live sports remain advertising's last reliable mass-reach environment, and 2026 is proving the point: the NBA Finals shattered viewership benchmarks, the FIFA World Cup is reaching US audiences across every screen, and leagues are moving content onto streaming channels. This FAQ covers how sports audiences are changing, where the ad dollars flow, and how marketers should plan sports investments in 2026.

Digital audio is quietly restructuring the listening landscape. Ad-supported streaming music is taking share from radio, podcasts are reaching record audiences, and Gen Z spends more time in Spotify's app than YouTube's. For advertisers, audio offers trusted voices and habitual daily attention at prices below video. This FAQ covers where listening is moving, why audio earns budget, and how to plan the channel in 2026.

63% of US Gen Z digital audio listeners use YouTube or YouTube Music, making it the top platform for both Gen Z and the total population (53%), according to a March 2026 survey from The Harris Poll and EMARKETER.

CTV is becoming the center of video advertising, but bigger budgets bring demands for measurement, pricing, and performance. Here’s where the market is headed and how advertisers can deliver results.​

Entertainment apps hold attention: App sessions hit a period high while music apps lost engagement, reflecting consumers' preference for active media.

Nielsen's math gets challenged: TVB questions Nielsen’s ad-supported TV figures, saying flawed inputs overstate streaming and undercount linear viewing.

World Cup fuels ad demand: Record Fox audiences reaffirm live sports’ value, but priced-out brands can find cheaper ways to join the action.

Peacock TV was the only major streaming service to grow its average daily household viewing time, climbing from 2.0 to 3.0 hours between December 2025 and February 2026 to tie Netflix and Hulu, according to a February survey from Comscore.

Gen Z adults spend 48 hours a month on Spotify's mobile app, 2.9 times the 16.8 hours they spend on YouTube's, according to a February survey from Comscore.

Sports audiences are fragmenting across platforms and channels, but live games still command attention and deliver engaged audiences. Streaming is growing, but traditional TV remains an important part of the ecosystem.