Amazon’s Prime Video maintains an average monthly ad-supported reach of more than 315 million viewers globally, the company announced at its 2025 unBoxed event. Amazon’s high-intent shopper base and ability to lead users through the entire marketing funnel offer a distinct advantage.

This benchmark covers how ad buyers can calibrate their digital ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how publishers and solution providers can assess whether their ad revenues align with industry trends.

This benchmark covers how ad buyers can calibrate their social media ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how publishers and solution providers can assess whether their ad revenues align with industry trends.

This benchmark covers how ad buyers can calibrate their TV and CTV ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how publishers and solution providers can assess whether their ad revenues align with industry trends.

This benchmark covers how ad buyers can calibrate their total media ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how publishers and solution providers can assess whether their ad revenues align with industry trends.

Media effectiveness platform DoubleVerify rolled out streaming TV products on Thursday designed to improve transparency and advertising quality in connected TV (CTV). DV’s new tools offer hope to marketers who are relying on CTV more amid shifting viewing habits but who struggle with placement and measurement.

Big media acquisitions and streaming integrations will contribute to consolidation in connected TV (CTV) ad spending.

Amazon is continuing to see success with its maturing ad offerings. Q3 advertising services reached $17.7 billion, up 24% YoY, while net sales increased 13% to $180.2 billion. Q4 guidance points to continued confidence, with Amazon expecting growth between 10% and 13% YoY. Amazon’s ad success indicates that it will continue to be a promising opportunity for marketers that offers a unique proposition combining data-driven targeting, commerce integration, innovative ad formats, and the ability to reach consumers both onsite and offsite.

US media habits show a split between heavy streaming and enduring live TV. Gaming, immersive tech, and short video add complexity, making the market both advanced and fragmented.

Streaming ad revenues continued a growth trajectory in Q3 while national linear TV spend shrunk, per a recent MoffetNathanson Research forecast. A successful advertising strategy will understand the increasing need to invest in cross-platform campaigns in the digital age.

By the end of 2025, CTV will overtake linear TV in key metrics like viewing share, viewing households, time spent, and content spending. CTV ad spend with then be set to surpass traditional TV spend in 2028.

Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) is becoming an increasingly important part of the connected TV (CTV) landscape as audience interest skyrockets, per a new Wurl study. Brands can view FAST as a core part of the CTV media mix, leveraging early-adopter advantages while continuing to invest in paid subscription services like Netflix that have lower churn rates.

Netflix and Amazon Ads have struck a global partnership to bring Netflix’s ad inventory to Amazon’s demand-side platform (DSP) across 12 markets, including the US, UK, France, Japan, and Brazil. The move expands Netflix’s programmatic footprint as it aims to nearly double US ad revenues this year and approach $3 billion globally by 2027. For Amazon, adding Netflix strengthens its DSP’s position; the deal underscores a shift toward centralized TV planning, where Amazon’s DSP increasingly serves as the central gateway for connected TV advertising.

This is the first installment of our “Canada Ad Spending Benchmarks” series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.

This is the first installment of our “Canada Ad Spending Benchmarks” series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.

The news: Roku launched Howdy, a streaming service for just $2.99 per month. It will initially be available through the Roku platform, with further rollout on mobile and beyond in the works.Our take: With 2.5% of all TV watch time—more than any other FAST provider—Roku has the audience to promote Howdy effectively. It must ensure that Howdy feels essential, not disposable, and that its content delivers real value. Still, with price sensitivity increasing and tolerance for ads shrinking, Howdy has clear appeal—especially among users seeking affordable streaming without sacrificing experience. If Roku executes on distribution and content strategy, Howdy could quietly scale into a meaningful revenue stream. Our take: With 2.5% of all TV watch time—more than any other FAST provider—Roku has the audience to promote Howdy effectively. It must ensure that Howdy feels essential, not disposable, and that its content delivers real value. Still, with price sensitivity increasing and tolerance for ads shrinking, Howdy has clear appeal—especially among users seeking affordable streaming without sacrificing experience. If Roku executes on distribution and content strategy, Howdy could quietly scale into a meaningful revenue stream. Our take: With 2.5% of all TV watch time—more than any other FAST provider—Roku has the audience to promote Howdy effectively. It must ensure that Howdy feels essential, not disposable, and that its content delivers real value. Still, with price sensitivity increasing and tolerance for ads shrinking, Howdy has clear appeal—especially among users seeking affordable streaming without sacrificing experience. If Roku executes on distribution and content strategy, Howdy could quietly scale into a meaningful revenue stream.

The news: WPP Media launched a “first-of-its-kind activation” with ad-tech company Criteo, marking the first big advancement in WPP’s “Open Intelligence” data platform for connected TV (CTV). The activation, built to offer “more value for advertisers," is currently being tested with Samsung, Roku, and Scripps. While more specific details were not provided, WPP Media stated in a press release that the pilot provides “premium supply with real-time commerce signals” from Criteo. Our take: WPP Media and Criteo’s partnership solidifies CTV as a performance-centric channel, giving advertisers new tools to target high-intent shoppers and drive measurable outcomes at scale.

Our midyear report revisits the top trends we named in early 2025 to see what’s shaping the market, evolving fast, or fading in the rearview mirror.

PubMatic has launched an AI-powered Live Sports Marketplace to enhance the value of live sports advertising by placing programmatic ads at high-engagement moments. The platform uses real-time signals—from viewer behavior to game dynamics—to time ads for maximum impact. With partners including FanServ, Roku, and major leagues like the NBA and MLB, the marketplace consolidates fragmented inventory across platforms. As digital sports viewership overtakes linear, and programmatic CTV spending continues to rise, PubMatic’s innovation offers flexibility, scale, and precision in a format where timing is everything. Advertisers gain tools to optimize performance at the moment audiences are most engaged.

At Cannes Lions 2025, commerce media partnerships once again reigned supreme. Once the domain of digital shelf tactics and retail data, commerce media is now reshaping how brands show up across social platforms, connected TV (CTV), and in-store displays. This year’s festival offered a glimpse into a more integrated, AI-driven future—one where conversational ads, programmatic pipes, and real-world touchpoints blur the lines between media and purchase.