On today's episode, we introduce you to the FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) services (e.g., Tubi, The Roku Channel, and Pluto TV), explain how they became so popular, and look ahead to see what their ceiling is. "In Other News," we talk about whether the advertising space is on the mend and how significant of an ad player Microsoft is. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Ross Benes and director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.

Key stat: Google’s share of US nonretail search ad spend has declined since 2021, when the company saw $57.49 billion in US search ad revenues, according to our forecast. Among Google’s rivals outside of retail, both Microsoft and Apple are growing their search revenues faster.

Google put ads in its Search Generative Experience. YouTube has a new unskippable 30-second ad spot. HBO Max relaunched as Max. And The Kroger Co. is paving the way with in-store retail media. Here are what updates from these companies and more mean for advertisers.

On today's episode, we discuss which attention metrics are real, which are still in development, and where identity and addressability will be by the end of the year. "In Other News," we talk about how much Microsoft and Apple can encroach on Google's search turf and YouTube debuting unskippable 30-second ads. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Evelyn Mitchell and Kunal Nagpal, chief business officer of InMobi.

The travel booking site partnered with Stripe and Klarna to offer BNPL and smoother bank transfers.

Cryptocurrency volatility has tempered expectations for crypto payments. But it hasn’t erased them: Retail, remittance, and cross-border B2B payments remain in growth mode.

As the so-called AI arms race heats up, US site visit data from digital intelligence platform Similarweb reflects early changes in consumer behavior.

Search is positioned to be generative AI’s first major consumer-facing playground. This is unexplored territory, and advertisers are bracing for big changes.

Generative AI is poised to reshape the search advertising market. With a significant first-mover advantage, will Microsoft grow its share of search ad budgets? How can advertisers stay ahead of the curve?

Microsoft makes bold, highly speculative agreement with Helion Energy: The tech giant is likely taking a leap of faith that AI will yield a nuclear fusion breakthrough in five years.

Digital ad spending will increase slightly faster this year than in 2022, but the bump will be minimal. Total media ad spending growth will roughly hold steady. But there are parts of the world where spending is surging.

Ad spending is looking shaky for many of the legacy formats across digital and traditional. New channels have arrived, however, and there are bright spots. This year could be rough, but 2024 is looking better.

Microsoft and Google report solid quarterly results amid slow economy: With AI transforming the future of search, is Microsoft gaining a perceived edge in innovation?

“[AI] really does raise the bar in terms of what people are going to expect from you,” our analyst Jeremy Goldman said on our recent “ChatGPT and Generative AI” panel. As AI matures, it will become more specialized, automating mundane tasks, ushering in personalization, and changing the way consumers, retailers, and marketers use the internet. Here are eight predictions for that not-so-distant future.

Gaming became a popular online activity during the pandemic. Growth may be slowing, but it’s not shrinking, meaning that the majority of those who picked up the hobby during the pandemic have become long-term users.

Even as suspicions surrounding ChatGPT and generative AI swirl, marketers know the new tech will turn search—and its ad dollars—on its head. As search shifts toward chatbots, the way brands advertise with Google and Microsoft will change completely, creating problems for publishers and agencies.

On today's episode, we discuss whether Microsoft’s AI-powered Bing can take share from Google, if social platforms can compete with Amazon on product search, and what to make of the idea that Apple might release its own search engine. "In Other News," we talk about what watching Peacock in the metaverse looks like and how people feel about all of their subscriptions. Tune in to the discussion with our director of forecasting Peter Newman and analyst Max Willens.

Generative AI comes to EHRs: Microsoft’s strong AI position could bring the company more healthcare cloud customers since its integrated AI tech with Epic can only be accessed on Azure.

Google, Musk, and OpenAI moves show corporate Darwinism in AI race: As tech gets closer to the holy grail of AGI, it’s getting harder for companies to apply the brakes.

With Bedrock, Amazon courts an array of AI startups: The platform offers a smorgasbord of generative AI tools for enterprise. But moves by Databricks and Meta could take model training in-house.