In 2025, retail media found itself at a turning point as networks, advertisers, and platforms pushed into new territory and redefined what the channel could be. Here are five of our top stories from the year, from the challenges of tracking CTV campaigns to the evolving competitive landscape shaped by Amazon, Walmart, and a wave of innovative smaller networks.

NBCUniversal’s Peacock reduced losses to $217 million in Q3 compared with $436 million in 2024, but struggled to boost revenues and attract new subscribers—raising questions about the platform’s advertising value. Peacock shows potential for the future as it works to build its portfolio and partnerships beyond live sports—but stagnant subscriber growth for two quarters means brands should remain cautious.

Spanish-language media company TelevisaUnivision reported a rocky Q3, with notable downturns in net income, ad revenues, and overall revenues. TelevisaUnivsion and ViX still offer a compelling value proposition for brands seeking smaller, but influential Spanish-language audiences.

The news: Legacy news is facing mounting threats after President Trump suggested on Truth Social that ABC and NBC could have their broadcast licenses revoked. Accusing the networks of serving as “AN ARM OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY,” the news follows a string of scrutiny against public broadcasting from the current administration—and has implications for the advertisers that rely on these channels. Our take: As news channels face more scrutiny, advertisers are being forced to reconsider where they spend—but political volatility still needs to be weighed against long-term loyalty among key demographics.

Ad spend across digital channels has been mixed so far this year, with spend on social networks slowing and connected TV spend boosted by new ad-supported subscription tiers. Meanwhile, retail media is diversifying at a rapid rate as nonendemic retailers get in the game

Tech’s nightmare becomes reality: As Amazon lays off thousands more, the talent bloodletting shows no signs of letting up. It’s a symptom of impulsivity in the tech industry that could come back to haunt it amid the tight labor market.

Google unplugs its robotic arm: Everyday Robots is the latest cost-cutting casualty. The timing is risky given Microsoft’s ChatGPT-robotics research and a potentially robust robotics consumer market ahead.

We lowered our expectations for digital ad spending next year amid ongoing data privacy challenges, post-pandemic normalization in investment, and overall market instability.

IT spending trumps recession fears: A report shows that the looming recession isn’t dissuading companies from growing IT departments. But a struggling cybersecurity workforce might make it difficult to enact.

Money no longer fun at Google: Sundar Pichai faces off with employees over budget cuts. As a recession looms and tech’s fun money evaporates, there are other ways to keep employees happy.