Roku’s original content gives it an edge in CTV: A deal with Google highlights how content offerings allow Roku to reach viewers outside its hardware net.

Google and Meta landed slightly below expectations in Q3, allowing a collection of hungry competitors to inch ahead. But overall, the ad industry remains healthy. Sports events drove streaming and CTV to record gains, and retail media continues to be the sector’s fastest-growing ad channel.

YouTube’s growing prominence on connected TV (CTV) will drive this shift.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what happened to Spotify’s subscriber growth after it raised prices, how it plans to take on YouTube, and what has led to the audio giant inching closer to profitability. Tune in to the discussion with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson and Analyst Daniel Konstantinovic.

High audio listenership and time spent this year means limited growth. Subscription revenues will be healthy, as most listeners pay to limit ads. And Spotify will lead in nearly every metric, though several platforms are doing well.

New revenue-sharing perks could attract more visual content and position the platform to compete with YouTube as video podcasts surge in popularity.

From the rise of sophisticated AI-driven tools to new policies reshaping data privacy and competition, 2025 promises to be a year of relentless change. Companies that adapt will thrive, while others risk being left behind in a swiftly moving market.

Streaming services are leaning more on advertising than they used to, resulting in increased overall ad spending but lower ad prices.

The beta feature simplifies music remixing for creators, signaling YouTube’s push to rival TikTok in video innovation.

US eCPMs for digital video, display, and audio formats fell in Q2 2024—the average decrease was slight on a QoQ basis but more pronounced on a YoY basis.

Gen Z leads in digital usage by most proportional measures. However, social network use cuts across categories, influencing video viewing and digital buying.

67.5 million US households use smart TVs, making it the No. 1 device among connected TV (CTV) households across the country, according to July 2024 data from Comscore.

After experiencing downturns in recent years, social CPMs are on the rise again in the US, per our forecasts. That’s a sign that brands could invest more in social media ads amid optimism about the economy.

High-income consumers are more likely to discover new brands or products in-store, but they typically make the final purchase online.

New AI features increase watchtime but stoke creator concerns over incorrect summaries and ad revenue, risking content shifts to rival platforms.

How time spent with media, device ownership, and media adoption stack up in Central and Eastern Europe.

OpenAI’s Whisper often hallucinates harmful content, challenging its suitability for healthcare applications where accuracy is critical to patient safety.

The 14th annual Global Media Intelligence Report details time spent with media, adoption of emerging formats, and device ownership in key markets around the world.

Affiliate marketing shifts to creator-driven strategies: Influencers bring engagement and trust to brand partnerships.

Influencer marketing is a core part of many brands’ strategies. Sponsored content spend on social media will total $8.14 billion in 2024, nearing the $10 billion mark by 2026, according to EMARKETER’s March 2024 forecast.