The US audience for voice assistants is nearing a milestone: 150 million users. Read on for figures from our latest forecast, including how many people are using smart speakers and how they use them.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss why regulators changed their mind on approving the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard deal, how the gaming industry will react, and what the deal means for advertisers. "In Other News," we talk about how much of political ad spending has gone digital and how Google is tightening the reins on bulk email senders. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Daniel Konstantinovic and Gadjo Sevilla.

Email marketing has been threatened recently by changes from Apple and Google, and email marketers are working to stay on top of industry shifts. Here are four burning questions about email marketing’s recent shifts.

The range of costs per thousand on major US streaming services is narrowing as new entrants Netflix and Disney+ come down from their initial ad-tier launch highs in late 2022.

As the DOJ’s antitrust trial over Google Search continues, the ad giant could be at real risk of having to alter its search business. “The DOJ has a really strong case here,” said our analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf on our “Behind the Numbers” podcast. “It's not looking great for Google.”

Amazon’s search capabilities are set for an AI-powered upgrade: The retailer will incorporate a chatbot to offer customers personalized suggestions based on their queries and shopping history.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the significance of the Amazon-Anthropic deal and what's possible now that ChatGPT can talk to you and see things. "In Other News," we talk about whether Bard AI integrations can help Google catch up to the competition and why one company is producing 10,000 humanoid robots. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jacob Bourne and Gadjo Sevilla.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the significance of Google's antitrust trial, the Department of Justice's (DOJ's) case against Google, Google's defense, and what the possible—and likely—outcomes might be. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf.

In July and August, the US ad market saw its first consecutive two months of growth in over a year, according to Standard Media’s US Ad Market Tracker. Platforms are focused on keeping that momentum alive with several updates. Multiple platforms are boasting improved AI targeting and enhanced connected TV ad solutions. Here is everything new in September.

Advertisers have dragged their feet on developing third-party cookie alternatives and are now under pressure to implement effective measurement solutions, our analyst Evelyn Mitchell said in a recent webinar. But new measurement options come with their own challenges, including slow adoption, lack of published test results, and limitations of first-party data.

On today's special podcast episode, we continue our monthly show where we discuss the biggest trends of the moment and the newest research, sprinkle in some analysis, and bundle it up into a quiz. Every month, three of our analysts representing their respective coverage area teams compete against each other. (We also encourage you to play along at home.) We keep a running score and will crown a winning team at the end of the year. Today, we cover retail media network investment and experimentation, the generative AI (genAI) bubble, and Google's dominance. Tune in to the discussion with this month's contestants: our vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian, analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, and vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti.

Advertisers say Google is underselling its ad inflation: The DOJ’s suit against Google revealed that the company quietly raised prices as much as 10%.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss what to make of Google turning 25 years old, how US shoppers feel about stores, why tiered rewards are all the rage, how Hispanic people think their values are reflected by advertisers and Americans, taxi drivers turning into robots, some mind-bending facts about US geography, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our forecasting writer Ethan Cramer-Flood, forecasting analyst Zach Goldner, and director of forecasting Oscar Orozco.

TikTok integrates Wikipedia snippets into search: A move towards broader search capabilities amidst rising competition with Google.

YouTube will hit $7.36 billion in US ad revenues this year, per our forecast, compared with TikTok’s $6.19 billion. YouTube will have 236.1 million US users this year compared with TikTok’s 102.3 million.

Google isn’t looking so good as it prepares for trial with the DOJ: A historic antitrust challenge comes as Google is under fire for multiple advertising controversies.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss when attention metrics might dethrone viewability, why advertisers are tentative about them, and why using attention as a currency is TBD. "In Other News," we talk about Google limiting impressions from "unproven" advertisers and the battle between advertising groups and the "Delete Bill," a California bill that would allow consumers to request advertisers delete their personal information. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf.

Google will require strict disclosures from AI-generated political ads: The company announced the rule change ahead of the most expensive election season yet.

Retail’s resilience and its outsized role in digital ad spending will help offset the impact of a broader slowdown in growth in the US digital advertising market.