A free myDG Delivery offer is part of a bigger ecommerce and media play.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss our “very specific but highly unlikely” predictions for 2026: what Amazon will do with the price of Prime; between OpenAI and Apple, who’s most likely to buy whom; and why a potential WBD acquisition by Netflix might not go through in 2026—if at all. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Principal Analyst Nate Elliott, and Vice Presidents of Content Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

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.

Marketplaces have been driving US ecommerce growth. But established players face a shake-up from new entrants and advances in AI and agentic commerce.

The news: The average VantageScore credit score dropped one point since last month, meaning the average customer’s creditworthiness is declining. And there are other signs of credit stress that should be alarming to banks. Our take: With the average credit score dropping and delinquencies rising across all tiers—including among historically reliable superprime borrowers—financial institutions (FIs) are facing a higher-risk environment. This requires a proactive approach to risk management. FIs should tighten their underwriting standards—particularly for mortgages and auto loans, which are showing the largest increases in late payments. In addition, FIs must proactively engage with customers to help prevent delinquencies from turning into defaults. By using data to identify at-risk borrowers and reinforce customer loyalty, FIs can reach out with support and resources like loan modifications or personalized financial guidance.

Amazon is expanding same-day delivery for fresh groceries to over 1,000 US cities, with plans to reach 2,300 by late 2025. The rollout integrates perishables into its core app for single-cart checkout alongside other goods, offering Prime members free delivery on orders over $25. Early pilots saw strong adoption, especially from first-time grocery buyers who shopped more frequently after trying fresh food. The move pressures rivals like Walmart, Instacart, and Kroger in a slowing but sizable $271 billion online grocery market. If Amazon can convert trial users into loyal customers, it could reshape expectations for grocery delivery speed and convenience.

The news: Amazon plans to put ads in its AI-powered Alexa+ voice assistant to boost product discovery and profits. Our take: If Amazon rolls out sponsored answers to Alexa+ user queries or in-conversation ads, the voice assistant’s vast trove of personal user data will help marketers target consumers on a micro level. However, if hallucinations arise and lead to irrelevant or inaccurate product recommendations, Amazon risks eroding both user trust and brand confidence.

The news: Prime members approved for the Prime Visa credit card will receive a $250 Amazon gift card as a welcome bonus during Amazon’s Prime Day multi-day promotional sales event. Our take: Amazon is trying to optimize its utility for the everyday consumer to deepen its dominance in the American market.

The news: Amazon plans to bring same- and next-day delivery to more than 4,000 smaller cities and rural communities by year’s end. Our take: Amazon’s growing focus on rural delivery is squarely aimed at deepening Prime’s value, driving higher engagement, and unlocking long-term loyalty in a market that still holds plenty of untapped potential.

Prime Video offers show-level ad reporting: The move positions it as a testing ground for streaming’s evolution, where transparency matters as much as viewer data.

Amazon Music’s AI push is promising but fumbles the execution: Explore brings deeper fan engagement, but a clunky interface may keep it from stealing share from Spotify or YouTube Music.

Amazon debuts three new CTV ad formats: The updates are part of Amazon’s Prime Video ads push and promise to help brands reach highly engaged audiences.

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.

With promised features missing, the rollout echoes a broader trend of overpromising and underdelivering in AI.

Consumers won’t order toilet paper online unless it arrives quickly: That insight led Amazon to speed up shipments, a push that has made household essentials its fastest-growing category.

Amazon’s shoppable video ads faced first big test: Marketers watched their performance over the holiday weekend to mull bigger commitments.

46.6% of US internet users are also Amazon Prime members, nearly two times as many as Costco (25.1%), the No. 2 biggest retail membership , according to data from Comscore.

Its record infrastructure spending shows a commitment to AI’s “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.

The integration is a win for PayPal after Amazon stopped accepting Venmo on its ecommerce site