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.

The 2023 upfront market will likely be the last one transacted primarily on Nielsen’s legacy currency. A shift from traditional TV to digital video advertising is the main factor driving this change.

The UK is home to some of the most voracious digital video viewers, but planning a campaign across the plethora of video platforms is getting more and more complicated. An increase in ad-supported on-demand platforms is adding to the complexity.

Following a few turbulent years, upfront TV ad spending will maintain momentum from last year.

Move over, millennials: The new kids in town, Gen Z, have claimed the crown as most sought-after demographic for brands. With their deep digital nativity and social influence, this generation is making its mark on society and brand strategy.

Listening habits have been steadily moving online in recent years. From music streaming to podcasts, there’s been a growing appetite for digital audio. While the assumption might be that the coronavirus pandemic has increased audio streaming, the picture is less straightforward. Pure music streaming via platforms like Spotify and Pandora is being eschewed in favor of music videos.

As the coronavirus pandemic renders the population of the UK largely housebound, media consumption patterns will invariably change. Certain media types (such as physical print) will falter, but video (TV and digital) looks set to benefit most.

In-person events are a cornerstone touchpoint for many B2B companies, but as the coronavirus outbreak progresses globally, major business events have been cancelled or postponed. This will come at great cost to marketing budgets and can have a lasting impact on revenue and sales.

Growing numbers of internet users in France and Germany now watch digital video, stream music and play games online. Younger people are leading this digital charge, while many older residents are more loyal to traditional media.