On today's podcast episode, we discuss just how bad ad fatigue is getting, how GenAI might revolutionize the in-car experience, the most interesting ways that out-of-home advertising is evolving, if niche video streaming services can gain share, how much the “American Dream” costs, and more. Tune in to the discussion with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Analyst Ross Benes, Director of Reports Editing Rahul Chadha, and Vice President of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti.

105.3 million people in the US will watch live sports via digital this year, up from 95.5 million last year, per our September 2024 forecast.

Even premium TV brands like LG are now showing ads on screensavers, joining other video platforms in monetizing this idle screen real estate. But will these ads actually move the needle for advertisers?

Live sports programming accounted for nearly 40% of US national TV ad spend in both Q4 2022 and Q4 2023, according to September 2024 data from iSpot.tv.

The election brings more ad spending to Spanish-language media: TelevisaUnivision garnered record US political ad revenues as candidates fight for Hispanic voters.

The NFL eyes a full season of foreign games: Another rights package could reignite the streaming bidding wars.

In a first for the Super Bowl, there will be two Spanish broadcasts: NBCU and Fox are sharing Spanish-language rights as marketers pay more heed to Hispanic consumers.

Apple’s Prime Video deal draws the lines of power in streaming: Growth in SVOD is slowing significantly, leaving services little choice but to piggyback off larger platforms.

DirecTV enters FAST streaming space: This new service offers free, ad-supported content and genre-specific bundles, aiming to attract cord-cutters and younger audiences.

Charter Spectrum now offers $65 worth of streaming services: While easy access to alternatives could accelerate churn, pay TV has little choice.

Retail has come off its lengthy run of outperforming overall US ad spending growth. While growth will dip below the average for all industries in 2024, the pace is set to pick up again in 2025 and 2026.

CNN launches $3.99 paywall: It’s a bid to grow digital dollars as cable viewership and revenues decline.

Adding to its suite of customization tools, the use of AI could help enhance subscriber interest amid price hikes and provide personalized music suggestions.

In part one of this two-part podcast episode, we discuss some medium-term predictions that are too specific to be 100% certain about but could still come true, including: why the sentiment towards GenAI might turn, what to expect from Google’s new consent workflow now that it is not phasing out third-party cookies from Chrome, and why Tubi might be about to leapfrog Hulu, Disney+, and Peacock. Tune in to the discussion with host Marcus Johnson, and analysts Ross Benes, Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, and Max Willens.

After an unexpectedly solid 2023, the good times will continue for ad spending in most US industry verticals in 2024. Telecom will lead in growth, and numerous categories will outpace their 2023 increases. A few unusual results are on tap as well.

YouTube claims 10.4% of daily time spent with TV in the US, according to July 2024 data by Nielsen.

Peacock soars but has catching up to do: Olympics gave the streamer its best month ever in August, but viewership was still dwarfed by Netflix and YouTube.

US streamers will see $66.23 billion in OTT subscription revenues this year, per our December 2023 forecast. Most of that money will come from the biggest players—Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, YouTube, and Paramount+—but over a third ($22.91 billion) will come from other streamers. This potential subscription and ad revenue are why brands like Chick-fil-A and the Dallas Stars NHL team are launching their own streaming services. Here are the driving forces behind the growth of these niche platforms.

Disney’s carriage fee dispute game plan: The company blocked access to ESPN and more for DirecTV customers, flexing its power over pay TV providers.

What the rise of piracy says about streaming: Major streaming services helped take down several popular piracy sites last week.