Netflix’s 2026 ad plans revolve around WBD: The mega-merger would give the burgeoning ad business a major boost for years to come.

Paramount has taken its $30-per-share WBD offer directly to shareholders, launching a $108.4 billion hostile tender backed by sovereign funds and major banks. The move intensifies its battle with Netflix, whose smaller bid would spin off WBD’s cable networks and merge HBO Max with Netflix’s global platform. Paramount argues that its fully consolidated approach preserves ecosystem value, avoids heavy antitrust scrutiny, and protects theatrical output, while Netflix’s deal would concentrate subscription and premium-video power. For marketers, the stakes are substantial: a Netflix acquisition could limit ad-supported supply and raise prices, while a Paramount deal maintains competition, inventory diversity, and greater planning clarity.

Klarna launched its premium membership model in the US, per press release. Klarna has been trying to compete with premium credit card rewards as a buy now, pay later (BNPL) provider, but the cash-back rates for both tiers are paltry compared with credit cards, which often offer 2% cash back for all purchases with no annual fee. BNPL rivals should make using installment loans for big-ticket items—a key growth area for providers—as easy as possible, like by offering 0% interest holidays, instead of promoting toothless rewards structures.

Automation, new commerce models, and a fresh generation of consumers are transforming the rules of connection and creativity. Explore the 11 trends shaping the digital future.

This benchmark covers how ad buyers can calibrate their TV and CTV ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how publishers and solution providers can assess whether their ad revenues align with industry trends.

Our midyear report revisits the top trends we named in early 2025 to see what’s shaping the market, evolving fast, or fading in the rearview mirror.

The news: YouTube is scrapping its Trending page and Trending Now list, citing the growing diversity of topics on its platform and rise of content discovery through search and recommendation algorithms. Instead, YouTube will promote popular content in category-specific charts, such as Trending Music Videos and Weekly Top Podcast Shows. Our take: Brands should shift their focus beyond chasing virality and toward building content that fits audience niches. Reaching users through personalized feeds and hyper-specific categories could deliver more consistent engagement.

OTT video—including YouTube, subscription OTT, AVOD, and free ad-supported streaming TV—is extremely popular in nearly all forms. But traditional pay TV continues to reach new lows.

HBO Max is back after a lengthy branding misstep: The pivot reflects the enduring power of HBO’s cultural and commercial identity.

Studio and linear remain a dark cloud for WBD and Paramount: Revenues were down YoY for both companies, but streaming remains a beacon of hope.

Max adds new paid sharing feature with profile transfer tools: As inflation rises, Max bets on flexibility over price hikes to reduce churn and increase retention.

As streaming subscription prices increase, viewers are becoming more amendable to ad-supported tiers.

This is the Q1 2025 installment of our quarterly “Ad Spending Benchmarks” series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.

Netflix’s AI search test takes aim at content fatigue: By letting users search more intuitively, Netflix hopes to edge out rivals and helps viewers navigate its library.

What do brands need to know about the next wave of digital growth?

HBO's hit show “The White Lotus,” is extending its off-screen influence with a series of retail partnerships. Though the show revolves around miserable rich people on vacation, it keeps viewers engaged with fashion, scenery, and unattainable luxury. Brands including Banana Republic, H&M, and Kiehl’s have seized the opportunity.

Younger consumers increasingly prefer creator content over TV, film: A Deloitte study indicates that advertisers need to rethink their strategies to remain competitive.

Streaming TV keeps growing, but so does the challenge of reaching viewers. With audiences constantly switching between platforms, old TV advertising methods fall short. A more precise, audience-first approach—borrowed from search and social marketing—is helping advertisers keep up.

FAST streaming is growing fast: The number of active channels has nearly doubled in several key markets, with the US showing the most growth, but user experience remains key.

Subscription OTT streaming is one of only a few media categories still seeing meaningful time spent growth in the US. The major platforms are heading in different directions, however.