Marketers could face a new challenge of podcast fragmentation, requiring more complex media planning.

Universal Ads announced Thursday an expansion of its Universal Audience Network in partnership with third-party publishers, including Samsung Ads, Cox Media, Philo, Vevo, and Telly. New partnerships enable marketers to scale campaigns with simplicity as Universal Audience Network maintains an over 90% household reach across premium video. Universal Ads is tackling one of streaming’s biggest pain points—fragmentation—by consolidating access to the streaming and connected TV (CTV) ecosystem.

Netflix reported a strong Q3 on Tuesday, increasing revenues 17.2% YoY, in line with the forecast issued in Q2. The company stated that it is on track to double its ad revenues in 2025, claiming Q3 was its strongest quarter yet for ad sales—proving that momentum is largely being driven by Netflix’s maturing ad offerings. Marketers can capitalize on audience appetite for ad-supported tiers, but should focus their investment in platforms with proven results as less dominant connected TV (CTV) providers are likely to struggle in Q3 and beyond.

Apple TV and NBCUniversal’s Peacock are partnering to offer a streaming bundle for $15 per month starting Monday. The new bundle provides potential for advertisers who have been hesitant to invest in Apple TV and Peacock respectively because of a lack of proven results.

Streaming is becoming a critical investment for marketers as the format evolves and continues to chip away at linear TV’s dominance. In an exclusive EMARKETER interview at Advertising Week New York, Reed Kiely, director of data insights and trends at the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB), outlined how marketers can tap into streaming’s potential and what will define success in a fragmented ecosystem. Marketers should follow audience attention and gradually allocate more budget to streaming services—but “prioritize quality content and ad experiences” as fragmentation heats up.

YouTube TV is in a dicey position after it lost access to Univision networks and reached a temporary extension with NBCUniversal as a total blackout looms. Brands should prepare for fragmentation and adapt accordingly. Looking to CTV and OTT platforms with more stable sports offerings—like Prime Video and its 11-year deal with the NBA and WNBA—will provide a cushion amid uncertainty.

The news: TV ad-supported viewing time grew 2% overall in Q2 across linear and streaming, reaching 73.6% of total time spent watching TV, per Nielsen—largely driven by streaming. Ad-supported streaming grew 7% to a 45.3% share—but broadcast and cable continued a downward trend. Our take: As streaming solidifies its lead in ad-supported viewership, the smartest advertisers will recognize that success hinges on striking a delicate balance of using streaming’s precision to target key audiences that are shifting to CTV, while leveraging linear’s scale and ability to drive action.

eMarketer analyst Ross Benes, forecasting analyst Eric Haggstrom and vice president of content studio Paul Verna at Insider Intelligence discuss the launch of HBO Max. How is it different from HBO's other products, can its content compete and do Americans want it? They then talk about Disney+ reaching 55 million subscribers, programmatic OTT being set to surge and a new merged entity called NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.

As more cord-cutters supplement traditional television with digital offerings, many in the TV industry are keen on the growing practice of combining linear OTT subscriptions with on-demand streaming.

eMarketer vice president of multimedia Paul Verna talks about how the context of when, what and how someone is watching video matters. Are OTT ad dollars starting to catch up with viewership? And is the TV the most important device?

In the latest episode of "Behind the Numbers," eMarketer principal analyst Paul Verna and senior forecasting director Monica Peart discuss Hulu: how much it makes in advertising, how its ad-supported and ad-free offerings compare with Netflix and what impact Disney's increased controlling stake has on the platform.

This year, we expect 170.1 million people in the US will use a subscription OTT service, like Netflix—making up 60.8% of internet users.