Industry KPI data shows arts and entertainment ROAS peaked in late Q3, with awards buzz lifting efficiency early.

Latin America’s video market is hitting peak penetration as streaming dominates media time. Mobile-first behaviors, platform concentration, and the popularity of short-form video are reshaping media consumption habits.

Microsoft’s in-game advertising dream gets its first test via two minutes of preroll ads per hour of cloud gaming playtime.

After a 20% jump in streaming subscription prices, when will consumers cut back?

The ad industry kept busy during the holiday season, so we rounded up the biggest stories from the last two weeks you need to know about.

On today’s podcast, we will cover a few of the takes from our Top Trends to Watch in 2026 report. Our analysts (or bakers) will compete in a Great British Bake Off style episode discussing if the micro-drama craze will mint a new generation of creators with dual support from social networks and entertainment studios, and why AI’s content takeover will shake consumer trust in the internet. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Analyst Jacob Bourne and Principal Analyst Max Willens. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the big 3 questions surrounding Netflix in Q3 and beyond: expectations for its ad business, the impact of Netflix House, a new deal with Spotify, or something else? Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Analyst, Ross Benes, and Senior Editor of Briefings, Daniel Konstantinovic. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Entertainment brands are partnering with influencers to drive engagement with Hollywood properties, according to an Advertising Week New York panel of film and TV industry leaders and creators. While partnering with creators for Hollywood productions is especially important amid volatile box office revenues struggling to reach pre-pandemic levels, the panel’s insights stretch to all marketers working with influencers.

TV ad spending will shrink across every industry this year. Retail and CPG still dominate in size, but other sectors lean on TV more heavily, exposing the uneven role it plays in media strategies.

The sources of ad spending growth are shifting as telecom and financial services surge, while retail and CPG slow but still dominate in scale. Every industry is leaning harder into digital, with social and display ads commanding more budget than ever.

How can industry ad buyers calibrate their ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how can media companies and solution providers assess whether their ad revenues are in line with industry trends?

The news: Spotify will bring high-fidelity, “lossless” audio to premium subscribers over the next two months across 50 markets, putting an end to years of speculation that it might gate the feature behind a more expensive subscription tier. Our take: Lossless audio certainly won’t be a detractor for Spotify and could help make it an even stickier service with low churn—something the company already excels at. While it is unlikely to drive subscriptions and doesn’t address the company’s advertising pains, it doesn’t hurt to add features that will keep users from cancelling or drifting to competitors.

Peacock is striking partnerships to grow its audience: The streamer is now available via Walmart+, adding millions of potential viewers ahead of a crucial year.

NBCUniversal has sold out all advertising inventory for Super Bowl 60 months earlier than expected, marking record demand for football advertising. Digital sales tied to the game are up 20% YoY as brands invest across NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo. Prices held at $7–8 million per 30-second spot, aligning with Fox’s 2024 benchmark. NBCU’s 2026 slate—which also includes the Winter Olympics, NBA All-Star, and FIFA World Cup—positions the company to capture significant share of sports ad budgets. With ROI on Super Bowl ads nearly doubling since 2020 and consumer enthusiasm rising, NBCU’s cross-platform dominance highlights live sports’ unmatched ad pull.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what AI Overviews are doing to search behavior, some potential new business models for the internet, and how much “AI slop” might encourage folks to decrease their time on the web. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Analyst, Grace Harmon, and the CEO and Founder of CMO Huddles, and host of the Renegade Marketers Unite podcast, Drew Neisser. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss if the death of the Late Show is “the canary in the linear coal mine” and the biggest takeaways from the landmark NFL and ESPN deal. Join our conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Editor, Daniel Konstantinovic, and Vice President of Content, Paul Verna. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

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.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how YouTube is ahead in the video streaming wars, if Netflix’s next wave of content can keep audiences’ attention, and how much these new Netflix House locations might move the needle. Join our conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Analyst, Marisa Jones, and Vice President of Content, Paul Verna. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how ready Netflix is for a potential recession, if video podcasts and content creators fit nicely into its offering, and whether AI can help improve search for the streaming giant. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Analyst Ross Benes, and Vice President of Content Paul Verna. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

India’s growing importance as an ad market: The world’s most populous country is seeing major shifts in time spent with media as competition ramps up.