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.​

Disney+ eyes free streaming: A no-cost tier could draw more viewers, challenge YouTube's lead, and broaden Disney's ad-supported reach.

TikTok’s influence across Western Europe keeps expanding, but its biggest opportunities vary by market. This report explores where user growth, advertising, and social commerce are accelerating.

TikTok turns microdramas into ad inventory: Growth Max lets brands build or sponsor episodic content as viewers watch ads to unlock more episodes.

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.

TikTok courts microdrama creators: Sundance tie-up trains short-form storytellers as brands eye booming, ad-ready series.

Sports fuels streaming catalogs: SVOD sports titles jumped 77.5%, giving marketers premium digital arenas.

Hispanic consumers are driving digital engagement across video, audio, and social. While their media habits stand out, their shopping largely aligns with the total population—forcing brands to rethink how they connect culture to conversion.

Disney’s results show consumers are still spending: The company’s high-demand streaming services are keeping viewers on board despite economic shocks.

Ad spending will surge in 2026 as AI-driven gains and a packed events calendar offset mounting economic strain. Social will lead the way as Meta overtakes Google in net revenues and the wider ad industry closes in on the half-trillion-dollar milestone.

Advertisers running on all nine streaming platforms account for 34% of US streaming TV ad spending, according to a March report from MediaRadar.

Social teams are rethinking YouTube as Shorts surges, both long-form and episodic content gain traction, and generative search reshapes discovery. But legacy silos and cost concerns still hold many back, even as audiences and creators are leaning in.

As prices climb and ad tiers spread, most viewers will see commercials regardless of their plan. Streamers and marketers are asking how to turn growing ad loads into sustainable revenues without alienating viewers.

YouTube tops global media with $62 billion in revenues and over $40 billion in ads, putting it ahead of Disney and legacy TV combined.

Microdramas are winning daily attention; per-user viewing time now exceeds Netflix and Prime Video on mobile.

OTT video is reshaping how adults spend their media time. Subscription streaming, free ad-supported channels, and long-form YouTube content on CTV are pulling attention away from traditional TV—and expanding total viewing in the process.

This FAQ addresses the dynamics marketers must navigate as CTV crosses key tipping points against linear TV.

Media habits keep evolving as digital gains ground faster than traditional declines. Video is absorbing more attention, screens are doing more of the work, and the central battle is for a share of limited consumer time.

Streaming video growth is shifting. Price hikes are slowing subscription revenue gains while ad-supported tiers take on a bigger role. Services must balance consumer fatigue with funding content and unlocking new ad revenues.