Global ad spending has steadied after a turbulent year, setting the stage for modest acceleration in 2026. Digital is still the main engine, but traditional media’s rebound will add lift as markets stabilize.

Singles Day transactions in China rose 17.6% YoY to 1.7 trillion yuan ($240 billion), according to Syntun, marking a slowdown from last year’s 26.6% gain despite extended campaigns and heavy promotions from Alibaba and JD.com. Platforms poured billions into vouchers and discounts, but longer sale periods diluted urgency and limited impact. The event’s waning momentum highlights China’s broader economic challenges—rising frugality, youth unemployment, and deflationary pressures. To reignite excitement, platforms may need to move away from drawn-out promotions toward shorter, high-impact campaigns that restore Singles Day’s original urgency and appeal.

China’s digital landscape is mobile-first and device-rich, yet media use is fleeting. Short-form video is the standout habit, while light engagement elsewhere forces brands to rethink how to capture attention.

TikTok is undergoing a sweeping reorganization that consolidates control under ByteDance’s Beijing-based leadership. The company’s global content and distribution teams now report directly to Douyin architect Fiona Zhi, who is closely tied to ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming. The change strengthens central oversight just as the US and China approach a potential TikTok ownership deal—but it also raises questions about governance, transparency, and stability. Advertisers are pausing or shifting spend amid uncertainty over who will run TikTok’s US operations and how its algorithm and data policies will evolve. ByteDance’s move reasserts control—but risks reigniting trust concerns in its largest market.

This year’s Singles’ Day sales period will be the longest yet as Chinese companies look to maximize revenues. JD.com, Xiaohongshu, and ByteDance's Douyin are among those hoping to get a head start over sale originator, Alibaba. Whether this year’s Singles’ Day turns into a price war depends on how strictly Beijing chooses to stem “disorderly” competition in the retail sector. While the government is unlikely to apply new competition guidelines too strictly this Singles Day, given the event’s importance to businesses and its role as a barometer of consumer confidence, the rules will inform how Alibaba, JD.com, and their peers approach pricing in the future.

Asia-Pacific ad spending growth will decelerate in 2025 amid tariff pressures, with digital and mobile driving growth. China faces headwinds, India enjoys rapid growth, and retail media expands and reshapes ad strategies across the region.

An intense price war, new entrants, and new investments are fueling China’s booming instant commerce sector. Sales are expected to outpace total retail ecommerce, making lower-tier cities the next battleground.

Asia-Pacific has the largest retail and ecommerce sales in the world. While China continues to dominate global ecommerce share, India and Southeast Asia are increasingly driving growth. As consumer sentiment improves in China, the retail sales gap with the first-place US will narrow in the coming years.

TikTok’s 2024 revenues in the UK, Europe, and Latin America surged 38% to $6.3 billion, more than doubling 2022 levels, per filings cited by Forbes. The growth underscores TikTok’s strength outside the US, where a divest-or-ban standoff continues. Yet regulatory scrutiny in Europe looms large, with over $1 billion reserved for fines, ongoing probes across multiple countries, and potential penalties under the EU’s Digital Services Act. TikTok’s UK penetration tops 32%, with ad revenues projected to triple by 2027. Still, layoffs in trust and safety roles and a pivot to AI moderation could test regulators and user trust.

Social network user growth will be slow on a worldwide level, but 2025’s meager 2.9% increase will still equate to more than 115 million new users. Facebook remains in the lead in most countries and regions, even though its share of internet users is declining.

Despite high penetration of social networks among internet users in Asia-Pacific, population-wide adoption lags. As such, we expect 209.6 million new social media users in the region between 2025 and 2029.

China is a global leader in online shopping, with high digital buyer and retail ecommerce penetration. Shoppers are comfortable buying luxury goods online and embracing livestreaming commerce.

Short-form “microdrama” content is surging in China. As the format gains popularity, streaming platforms are exploring new ways to monetize and export the phenomenon to overseas markets.

TikTok is ByteDance’s global engine: Despite slowing growth in China, the platform continues to expand monetization and user base worldwide.

Digital’s share of total media ad spending in Asia-Pacific will reach a milestone in 2025, surpassing $200 billion for the first time. The region’s digital ad spending will increase 8.6%, led by India, while China’s growth will slip noticeably amid the country’s economic struggles before a rebound the following year.

YouTube has more users than Facebook, Netflix, or Spotify. But its advertising revenues do not match its vast reach. This report contextualizes the opportunities and scope for growth in various media spheres.

In this report, we explore the world’s top region for retail and ecommerce, Asia-Pacific. Read on for a closer look at the markets in China, India, the Philippines, and more.

A series of major milestones are on tap for total media and digital media ad spending around the world in 2025, although growth will be uneven across countries and regions.

Recent Supreme Court rulings could aid TikTok: The high court will rule on the platform’s ban months after it made strong statements about government interference with digital free speech.

China’s retail sector will grow from government stimulus, retail’s genAI revolution will have a far-reaching impact, India’s quick commerce will heat up, China’s retailers will face pushback in the region, and Xiaohongshu will further establish itself.