Advertisers are missing opportunities to capitalize on strong connected TV (CTV) engagement from diverse audiences, per LG Ad Solutions’ “The Inclusive Screen 2025” series. Targeting ads to diverse audiences stands to benefit brands by tapping into consumers who are likely to take action when they feel represented—but a tailored strategy over a one-size-fits-all approach is critical.

YouTube’s NFL Brazil broadcast was a massive success, breaking livestream records in the country with over 17.3 million average-minute-audience (AMA) members, including more than one million non-US viewers. YouTube’s record-breaking NFL success proves that, for advertisers, the marketing playbook is moving to platforms where reach, relevance, and results converge.

As the number of podcast listeners grow, giving them options for both listening to or watching the latest episodes has become key to maintaining audiences. More than half of US podcast consumers (53%) prefer watching podcasts over just listening on YouTube, per the Podcast Landscape 2025 report from Sounds Profitable and Signal Hill. YouTube’s connected TV (CTV) and podcast dominance presents a unique opportunity for brands to advertise in a variety of formats, whether that’s sponsored episodes, partnerships, digital video ads, or pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll audio spots.

Linear TV ad spending will drop more than 11% in 2026, reaching $139.1 billion, per a World Advertising Research Center study cited by MediaPost. Linear has dropped 28% in absolute dollars in a 12-year period. The format’s share of global media has plummeted: Spending now accounts for 12.4% overall, compared with 41.3% in 2013. Ad spending shifting away from linear might align with consumers’ shift to digital, but linear’s potential to generate action remains stronger than CTV, which means brands need to use a diversified channel strategy.

As the connected TV (CTV) market matures, new ad formats are giving brands tools to capture attention in cluttered streaming environments. India’s Smart TV OS CloudTV launched a 3D ad unit on Thursday across its OS-powered devices, with the goal of providing a premium user experience and outperforming traditional ad formats in attention capture. CTV is a critical investment for advertisers looking to capitalize on the shift to digital, and 3D ad formats’ innovative ability to engage fragmented viewers will become increasingly important as the market expands.

Peacock is joining Prime Video’s ecosystem, giving viewers access to the service as an add-on with Prime subscriptions, per an Amazon announcement. The ad-free version of Comcast’s streaming platform will cost the same on Prime Video as it would individually. Peacock joins the likes of Paramount+, Apple TV+, and HBO Max in becoming part of Prime’s ecosystem. Peacock’s integration into Prime Video turns a mid-tier streamer struggling with profitability into part of a premium bundle, giving advertisers access to a larger, more engaged audience part of Amazon’s high-value ecosystem.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the biggest discrepancy by device with regards to where we spend our time versus how many ad dollars are aimed there, why social players want to take a page from YouTube’s CTV playbook, and why sub OTT’s unusual path to advertising has created major misalignments. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Principal Forecasting Writer, Ethan Cramer-Flood, and Senior Analyst, Minda Smiley. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Fubo is launching Fubo Sports, a “skinny” standalone sports streaming bundle with a lower cost than its existing plans and pay TV competitors. The bundle offers access to more than 20 sports-focused channels, including ESPN Unlimited, per Variety. If Fubo leans into being a low-cost, high-intensity sports hub, it can carve out a profitable niche, even if it lags behind in subscriber count and scale. <p>But without more exclusive rights or differentiation, Fubo Sports could risk being seen as a less complete version of other bundles.</p>

A Precise TV study revealed key habits for younger Gen Z consumers ages 13 to 17—emphasizing that short-form and digital video are leading the way. YouTube Shorts and TikTok ads were major drivers of purchase decisions: 51% of Gen Z boys and 43% of girls made a purchase after watching YouTube Shorts ads, while 44% of boys and 41% of girls purchased after watching a TikTok ad. Gen Z’s digital buying power will only grow, and targeting younger Gen Z consumers will position brands for long-term growth—provided the right strategies are implemented.

The news: As the NFL season approaches and digital video becomes a sports destination, fans are looking to new streaming services to stay caught up—and 35% are planning to subscribe to a new service to watch fall and winter sports, per CivicScience data. Our take: Sports will remain a key opportunity for brands to reach engaged and passionate audiences—but as fragmentation worsens, advertisers must prioritize cross-platform strategies that unlock consistent exposure.

The news: Magnite today introduced pause ads across several streaming providers, including DirecTV, Fubo, and Dish Media, to capitalize on the momentum of pause ads as a key opportunity to engage and convert connected TV (CTV) viewers. Our take: Pause ads have demonstrated their worth in the quickly growing CTV landscape—but those who see the most success with the format will be the ones who innovate before pause ads become standard practice.

The news: Two months after its streaming-only release, Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” is thriving in a limited box office run—emphasizing the company’s evolving strategy as the streaming market becomes increasingly saturated. Our take: Netflix’s current box office success shows its evolution beyond a streaming platform and toward a broader entertainment brand. The company is placing its bet on diversification to drive sustained growth, hinting at a future that integrates a platform-agnostic approach with successful content distributed to wherever viewers are most likely to engage.

The news: NFL ads are more effective than anything on linear—but ads during streaming-exclusive games outperformed in the 2024-25 season. Streaming ads were 66% more effective than the cable and broadcast average during the most recent NFL season, per data from EDO. Our take: With streaming platforms capturing engaged audiences for tentpole sports like the NFL, advertisers can leverage CTV not just for reach, but for its superior ability to drive measurable action through precision targeting and interactive formats that linear doesn’t offer.

Streaming captured 47.3% of US TV viewing in July, a record share that underscores the medium’s dominance as linear declines. YouTube rose to 13.4% of TV use, its highest level yet, while Netflix surged 5% month-over-month to 8.8%, leading the top 10 streaming titles. The Roku Channel and Peacock also hit records, fueled by strong franchises and creator-driven content. Meanwhile, cable slid to 22.2% and broadcast fell to a new low of 18.4%. With YouTube and Netflix now equaling cable’s share, streaming has become the default destination for mass viewing—even as subscription fatigue looms.

The news: YouTube has made an official inquiry about purchasing the rights to future Academy Awards ceremonies in its latest live events push, per Bloomberg. The move comes after viewership increased slightly for the most recent Oscars ceremony, driven by simultaneous airing on ABC and Hulu. Our take: Rather than competing head-on with broadcast, YouTube can position itself as a complementary streaming partner that extends the Oscars’ reach by highlighting shifting viewership trends that capture audiences broadcast alone struggles to reach and its edge in premium video advertising.

The news: Netflix is proving its power as the dominant subscription streaming platform with several recent ad wins. The streamer announced that it’s sold all of its available commercial time in preparation for its two Christmas day NFL games, also noting sponsorship deals with partners like Google and FanDuel. Our take: With its strong lead in ad revenue growth, position as the most-used subscription video service in the US, consistently low subscriber churn rate, and content strategy tailored to unique markets, Netflix is likely to continue dominating advertiser investment in connected TV.

The news: Upfront spending on primetime TV declined for the third year in a row as viewers shift to streaming and advertisers follow suit, per Media Dynamics. Our take: Though linear still commands more ad spending than streaming for now, money and viewership are becoming more entrenched within streaming.

The news: Paramount outlined the future of its cable and studio assets on Wednesday a week after completing its merger with Skydance Media. Paramount president Jeff Shell characterized the company’s vision for its cable networks, including MTV, BET, and Nickelodeon, not as shrinking linear assets, but as “brands that we have to redefine.” Our take: Paramount’s emphasis on growing its traditional media businesses signals a bet that legacy channels can drive meaningful revenues when accounting for shifting viewing habits and pursuing higher-volume content pipelines.

The news: As budgets tighten, consumers are altering their streaming habits, per Hub Research’s annual Monetizing Video report. While the average user is unwilling to pay much more than they’re already paying for streaming subscriptions, 42% say they are much more likely to maintain bundled subscriptions compared with individual streaming subscriptions. Our take: Advertisers must pay attention to platforms that offer bundle packages as key areas for investment due to their lower churn. Bundles consolidate audience attention and offer more predictable engagement.

This report compares our 2025 US ad spending and time spent with media forecasts. It identifies incongruities between how marketers are spending ad dollars and where consumers are spending their time.