Well into the pandemic, consumers still say they are spending more time with social media. Activities like live streaming, video chatting and gaming are drawing some of them in.

eMarketer sales executive Michael Bruckenthal, junior analyst Blake Droesch, forecasting analyst Eric Haggstrom and director of corporate accounts Brandon Galindo discuss how esports is changing since the coronavirus pandemic. How successful have the gaming tournaments been, what's happening with gaming engagement and what do advertisers need to know? Then Blake and Eric talk about Instagram 'Co-Watching' and simultaneous streaming, the buying/discovery ratio and Snapchat Stories on other platforms.

The last US recession—which lasted from December 2007 to June 2009—resulted in two straight years of US ad spending declines. As the coronavirus spreads worldwide more than a decade later, the US faces what looks like another economic downturn.

The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to mitigate it are wreaking havoc on the economy. How will advertisers respond? We looked back at our coverage of the industry during the Great Recession of 2007-2009 for historical perspective and precedents.

eMarketer sales executive Michael Bruckenthal, principal analyst Mark Dolliver and junior analyst Blake Droesch discuss how traditional sports are taking lessons from esports to create a more engaging viewing experience. Then Mark and Blake talk about Apple allowing push notification ads, the details of the KIDS Act bill, how Facebook is changing its digital currency ambitions and how the popularity of streaming services influence its ads.

eMarketer forecasting analyst Eric Haggstrom and vice president of content studio Paul Verna discuss the biggest takeaways from Netflix's latest results. They then talk about the UK's position on a landmark EU copyright law, YouTube's latest esports move and Google's new position on its search results redesign.

Advertisers are embracing the popularity of connected TV by allocating more money to streaming platforms.

eMarketer vice president of content studio Paul Verna breaks down the cutthroat streaming video service landscape, time spent with TV vs. video, Food Network’s new video subscription service and how to measure esports audiences.

eMarketer forecasting analyst Eric Haggstrom, vice president of content studio Paul Verna and researcher Chuck Rawlings talk fantasy football: how has it changed engagement with sports, sports broadcasting and cord-cutting behaviors. They also discuss why NFL TV ratings are up, a new initiative to compare esports and traditional sports audiences and more.

Ad dollars and viewers are pouring into digital video platforms as the TV industry continues to lose subscribers.

eMarketer sales executive Michael Bruckenthal, midmarket account manager Brandon Galindo and vice president of content studio—and author of our recent report, “Esports 2019: eMarketer’s Forecast for US Audience, US Ad Revenue Growth”—Paul Verna discuss the burgeoning world of esports. They chat about how different stakeholders are investing in this space, who’s watching, how large are the prize pools and audiences compared with traditional sports and marketing opportunities for advertisers.

YouTube has been the OG for video creators for years, but now the social properties are making bigger inroads into this popular content format. That’s bringing new ways for marketers to work with creators on Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and more.

eMarketer’s very own gamers, corporate account manager Brandon Galindo and sales executive Michael Bruckenthal, explain what happened at the Fortnite World Cup. What did the esports competition look like, how much did competitors win and how do parents feel about their kids participating? Then vice president of content studio Paul Verna, discusses updates to Spotify’s new Ad Studio, Walmart’s latest driverless delivery partnership and why DoorDash bought Caviar.

Esports probably won’t replace baseball as America’s national pastime, but it’s now just as popular as the NBA. Last year, 63 million US viewers watched competitive video games, according to Activate Inc., putting esports on par with the NBA's viewership.

Competitive video gaming is a rapidly growing, multibillion-dollar industry, presenting new opportunities for marketers to reach and engage with fans. Esports ad revenues are poised to surpass $200 million by next year, according to eMarketer’s first forecast on esports and gaming revenues.

In 2018, esports captured the attention of nearly 400 million viewers worldwide—and cable and OTT platforms took note, with media rights revenues topping $180 million.

In this "Behind the Numbers" playlist, we talk all about streaming sports in various markets, including the US, Latin America, Europe and APAC. Our analysts break down the audience, content, platforms and marketing opportunities in these regions.

"Behind the Numbers" completes its investigation of sports streaming around the world with a look at two key Latin American markets, Brazil and Mexico. eMarketer's Paul Verna and Matteo Ceurvels discuss the platforms and opportunities for marketers.