Instagram pushes into the living room: Long-form CTV plans could pit it head-on with YouTube’s cross-device dominance.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three big questions surrounding Google right now: If Google is winning at search, where is its ad machine quietly losing? Is its self-driving car unit, Waymo, a sleeping giant for the company? And are its new traditional TV-style “Stations” the right model for YouTube as it tries to take over the living room? And more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Analyst Marisa Jones and Senior Forecasting Analyst Drew Spink. Listen everywhere, or watch on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

A rebound year is taking shape in Canada’s ad market. Growth is shifting toward CTV, retail media, and social. But tighter budgets and economic pressure are forcing advertisers to rethink channel mix and performance priorities.

Roku’s ad engine hums: Q1 ad revenues jumped 27% as 38.7 billion streaming hours and premium CTV formats helped pull marketers from linear TV.

Creator content is shaping how AI answers questions. But content that’s good at engaging audiences isn’t always what AI surfaces. That’s forcing brands to rethink their creator strategies and content formats so they can show up in AI tools.

US social network amplified content ad spending will match creator sponsored content revenues at $14.15 billion in 2027 before surpassing them in 2028, according to a February forecast from EMARKETER.

Guidance clouds Spotify’s outlook: Q1 revenues rose, but lower-than-expected guidance and ad struggles rattled investors and raised monetization concerns.

SiriusXM and iHeartMedia eye scale: Merger talks aim to pool reach and ad heft as radio revenues stall and digital adoption rises.

Ad spending will surge in 2026 as AI-driven gains and a packed events calendar offset mounting economic strain. Social will lead the way as Meta overtakes Google in net revenues and the wider ad industry closes in on the half-trillion-dollar milestone.

Charter sheds 51,000 pay TV subscribers in Q1: Cord-cutting accelerates as streaming and digital redraw viewing habits, necessitating marketers adapt.

YouTube leans on SiriusXM’s ad infrastructure: The radio company is now the exclusive ad partner for YouTube audio, including video podcasts.

YouTube is the top platform for watching creators across every demographic of US children, according to a February report from Precisify.

In today’s podcast episode, we discuss whether AI slop is becoming a problem on YouTube, the ways AI is helping—and hindering—brand safety efforts for advertisers, and what marketers can do about AI’s influence on how their ads appear. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Analyst Jacob Bourne and Principal Analyst Bill Fisher. Listen anywhere, or watch on YouTube or Spotify.

Betting on Gen Z-oriented rewards, brands, and celebrity endorsements may carry Venmo’s success.

Snapchat’s young audience and distinct ad products keep it relevant, even as usage slips and regulatory pressure builds. Marketers should use it with strategies built for messaging, creators, and commerce.