On today's episode, we discuss what AI-generated ads will look like, TikTok testing a new AI chatbot called Tako, Formula One finding a new way to advertise on its cars, ESPN offering its channel as a standalone streaming service, what using VR in a car will look like, visualizing the US workforce as 100 people, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our forecasting writer Ethan Cramer-Flood, director of forecasting Oscar Orozco, and analyst Max Willens.

Disney adapts to industry challenges: House of Mouse emphasizes ESPN's sports offerings and nonscripted content at upfronts.

The sports rights spending of subscription OTT services will increase by more than $3 billion this year to reach $8.5 billion worldwide, according to Ampere Analysis. Their monthly viewership will also grow, per our forecast, surpassing 2 billion for the first time in 2023.

Will streamers band together to create a sports broadcast hub? ESPN is trying to persuade competitors to jump on board, and revenue pressures could sway them.

It looks like gambling is coming to ESPN: Disney is reported to be close to striking a deal with sportsbook DraftKings.

Amazon’s $1 billion-a-year Thursday Night Football bet appears to be paying off, drawing record Prime sign-ups and reinforcing advertisers’ confidence in Amazon’s streaming tech. Once a pillar of pay TV, live sports have become the next big thing in streaming.

Streamers won't sacrifice their brands for sports rights: Disney is keeping gambling at arm’s length while Apple and Amazon run from a Saudi golf deal.

With growing subscription and advertising revenues, digital video’s future remains bright. But there are numerous questions that will affect its development.

The return of live sports produced a flurry of licensing activity from broadcast networks and streaming services—including digital video, social, and ecommerce platforms. It also reignited concerns about the sustainability of pricing models for sports video and TV.

The NFL ensures more touchdowns for streamers: A new set of 11-year rights deals will make more football available on streamers, but distribution will remain tied to linear TV for the time being.

As more viewers leave traditional TV packages for streaming alternatives, there is a heightened interest in how much money is being spent on video subscriptions and which companies are benefiting from changes in consumer viewing patterns.

In 2021, the biggest US beneficiary of the streaming bonanza will be Disney. After a plethora of streaming competitors launched in 2020, Netflix still added a substantial number of subscribers. Equally as impressive as Netflix’s sustained dominance was Disney+’s ability to quickly gain viewers. These developments show there’s room for multiple services to thrive in this fast-growing market.

Following a strong launch in November 2019, Disney+ is on track to surpass $4 billion in US subscription revenues by 2022. In its first full year, Disney+ has grown rapidly, spurred by in-demand content and stay-at-home orders. In fact, the service will help The Walt Disney Co. reach Netflix’s share of the market by 2022, according to the inaugural eMarketer OTT subscription revenue forecast by Insider Intelligence.

Most advertisers have pulled back their spending, but streaming services are marketing themselves as heavily as ever.

According to our latest estimates for over-the-top (OTT) video services in the US, Disney+ will have 72.4 million users this year, representing 32.1% of OTT viewers.

Esports viewership has not caught up to the media hype – but there could be upcoming growth opportunities.

Sports are on hold in the US due to the coronavirus pandemic, but digital live sports viewership will still rise more than 14% this year thanks to continued organic growth and accelerated cord-cutting.

Not being able to experience live sports at this time, US adults are turning to other alternatives. While these choices vary from sports documentaries to esports competitions, recent data from Morning Consult found that US adults are just as interested in news coverage of the pandemic’s impact on sports as they are on the games themselves.

Advertisers are making significant investments in connected TV as the TV landscape becomes more fragmented.