On today's episode, we discuss whether connected TV (CTV) ads are living up to the hype, what to make of the Twitter deal being put on hold, what Facebook's retirement plan may be, where Big Tech goes from here, the impact of Klarna's new "Virtual Shopping" service, an unpopular opinion about market cap, some stats about American travelers, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our director of forecasting Oscar Orozco and analysts Paul Verna and Blake Droesch.

Close to 8 in 10 branding professionals plan on allocating upfront spending to Hulu, per a survey from iSpot.tv. Peacock and YouTube TV are also major upfront spend magnets with 52% and 49% of branding professionals dishing ad dollars to those platforms, respectively.

Insider Intelligence spoke with Liyia Wu, founder and CEO of ShopShops, about why livestream shopping will take off in the US.

The rules of the early D2C playbook no longer apply: As category mainstays like Casper and Warby Parker lose money, Nike and Tesla succeed at leveraging D2C—our latest research digs into why.

Consumers are trading down to private label brands: That presents an opportunity for retailers such as BJ’s Wholesale Club to use their own brands to demonstrate value and build loyalty.

Honda’s Prologue SUV ushers in its EV transition: The second-largest Japanese carmaker is leaning on American technology to jumpstart its wider electrification efforts with a SUV it designed in VR.

The case for better bicycle tech: Garmin adds a camera to its Varia cycling radar device, which could help cyclists avoid collisions.

VCs show game developers some love: Games Fund One unlocks $600M dedicated capital to help develop digital communities and ecosystems during a time of cautious tech investment.

After two years of booming business for tech and media, the industries are now facing a wave of cost-cutting measures like layoffs and shutdowns that signal a focus on profitability but could harm companies’ reputation with prospective employees in an already-tight labor market.

GoParrot helps restaurants set up and manage online ordering and payments and can strengthen the Square for Restaurants suite.

US consumers can’t get enough of luxury retail: While Walmart and Target struggle, LVMH and Burberry benefit as affluent customers ramp up their spending.

Startups face live or die outlook: Y Combinator warns about lean times ahead and how to stay alive during the downtown. Companies that saved last year's feast should fare well.