Disney will fully fold Hulu content into Disney+ by 2026, transforming Disney+ into a broader streaming portal spanning family programming, general entertainment, news, and sports. Hulu’s brand will remain intact inside the app, but its slowing revenue trajectory—expected to reach nearly $12 billion by 2027—has accelerated the logic for consolidation. The strategy becomes more important as Netflix pursues its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, potentially creating the most powerful premium-content library in streaming. Disney must keep viewers inside its ecosystem longer, reduce churn, and strengthen its ad-supported tiers. Success depends on balancing Hulu’s adult content with Disney+’s family identity while expanding perceived value.

2025 saw mergers, layoffs, and AI overhauls as the agency model fractured and reformed.

Reddit is leans into AI automation with its new Max campaigns. The new offering promises to cut CPAs and lift conversions, giving marketers efficiency relief as social CPMs rise sharply.

As audiences show a preference for user-generated content in ads, brands have an opportunity to showcase credibility across social advertising strategies.

Marketers across categories are calling for simpler, more intuitive advertising systems after years of growing fragmentation and technical overload. In interviews with EMARKETER, leaders from Criteo, LiveRamp, Reddit, Vistar Media, StackAdapt, and DoorDash all described a shift toward platforms that reduce effort, unify workflows, and provide clearer decision making. Buyers want fewer interfaces, standardized KPIs, easier activation, and more transparent insight into where ads run. The message is consistent: performance pressure amplifies the value of operational clarity. As the industry moves into 2026, platforms that eliminate friction—rather than add features—will gain share, while marketers who choose simplicity will gain speed and efficiency.

Most viewers pause for 1 to 5 minutes, offering extended periods for non-intrusive ads likely to drive action.

Threads and WhatsApp ads are growing as novelty draws interest, but lasting ad spend hinges on better, platform-native formats.

In a year marked by platform volatility, AI acceleration, tariff shocks, and shifting consumer behavior, marketers searched for clarity across EMARKETER’s most-read topics. The top 10 themes reflect where advertiser attention truly moved in 2025. These trends captured the forces reshaping performance, discovery, and measurement: AI-driven optimization, creator-centric social ecosystems, commerce-led advertising, and CTV’s rise as the new premium video default. Together, they tell the story of a market recalibrating around efficiency, accountability, and cultural relevance as marketers prepared their 2026 strategies.

Advertisers must understand what makes influencer marketing effective and prioritize vetting to combat distrust.

Reels video views for luxury brands grew 234% in Q2 2025, while TikTok slowed as brands face a shift that necessitates a rebalance in content distribution.

Consumers increase support for brands who stand by LGBTQ+ initiatives, and advertisers who back away face challenges in reaching the next wave of consumers.

TikTok’s 2026 looks just as uncertain as 2025: Despite new US owners, questions remain about content moderation and its algorithm

Gaming ads offer high engagement in a market that is underutilized relative to its potential.

New data shows traditional SEO success no longer guarantees visibility inside generative AI answers. Ahrefs found that fewer than 9% of ChatGPT and Gemini citations come from URLs ranked in Google’s top 10 results—meaning more than 90% of high-ranking organic pages never appear in AI responses. Instead, LLMs lean heavily on community-driven sources like Reddit, YouTube, Wikipedia, Yelp, and TripAdvisor, dramatically reshaping early-stage discovery. With LLM usage exceeding one billion monthly users, brands that do not participate in open forums risk disappearing from AI-mediated journeys. Marketers must treat GEO as a distinct discipline, not an extension of SEO.

The most impactful ads of 2025 stirred debate and dollars: From Sydney Sweeney to Katseye to Coca-Cola.

As consumers become adept at ignoring ads, avoiding dreaded ad fatigue requires brands to prioritize creativity and interactivity.

Tailoring marketing to Gen Alpha is proving critical for brands looking to capitalize on their emerging influence.

Instagram's explosive EU audience growth compared with Facebook's slowing momentum means advertisers should follow suit.

Audiences say TV is the most acceptable place for advertising, but amid the shift to digital for younger buyers, a balanced approach is critical.

The Trade Desk is laying off fewer than 1% of its 3,900 employees, a small reduction that nonetheless comes at a pivotal competitive moment. The cuts follow notable departures and last year’s major reorganization, as TTD prepares for an AI-first future centered on Kokai. Agencies say Amazon’s DSP is winning share with lower fees and strong performance, pushing TTD to negotiate pricing and offer service incentives once considered off-limits. At the same time, scrutiny over transparency, reseller accountability, and TTD’s OpenAds wrapper is rising. For marketers, the moves signal a company recalibrating—not retreating—as it works to steady growth heading into 2026.