Media & Entertainment

Meta’s Horizon Worlds features can monetize VR: Creators will be able to sell items “in-world,” with Meta taking up to 47.5%. Will creators balk at the cost of business in the metaverse?

Our analyst Andrew Lipsman is joined by Sara Livingston, head of customer solutions at Rockerbox, to discuss where direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands' Facebook ad budgets are flowing since iOS tracking changes disrupted ad targeting and measurement last year. Find out why Google, TikTok, and connected TV are capturing more spend and how D2C budgets are likely to migrate in the coming years.

The old music you love is more valuable than the latest tunes: Elvis’ catalog is the latest to get scooped up as listening shifts away from newer hits.

Disney+ bets on “Dancing With The Stars” fans to boost subscriptions: Moving the flagship broadcast to streaming shows where Disney’s priorities are.

Meta looks to bring commerce to its Horizon Worlds platform: Creators can earn money from their metaverse products and experiences under a test program.

Once the domain of gamers and young social media users, AR and VR are entering the mainstream. This year, more than a quarter of the US population will use AR and nearly a fifth will use VR. As device-makers improve VR headsets and AR spreads to new use cases, the number of AR and VR users will continue to grow over the next four years, with AR outpacing VR.

Podcasts have Spotify seeing dollar signs. The company’s US podcast ad revenues will hit $191.9 million in 2022 and cross the $400 billion mark in 2024, with growth well into the double-digit percentages. The format will also make up an increasing share of Spotify’s overall ad revenues: 16.7% of its $1.15 billion in US ad revenues this year, before growing to 19.4% in 2024.

Lego and Epic Games make a play for tomorrow’s consumers: The companies are teaming up to create a family-friendly metaverse for kids.

Warner Bros. Discovery will flex power in streaming, film, and measurement: The historic merger is set to be completed soon, reshaping the media industry.

Canada’s digital audio audience is growing faster than any other digital medium we track in the country, including digital video viewers and social media users. This year, digital audio will match terrestrial radio in listenership and exceed it in engagement, according to our forecasts.

In 2021, more than three-quarters of the time that US adults spent listening to ad-supported audio went to AM/FM radio. Podcasts trailed way behind traditional radio, capturing just 11% of ad-supported listening, while Pandora, SiriusXM, and Spotify each accounted for less than 10%. AM/FM radio held a majority share across adult age groups and was the most listened-to ad-supported audio not only in the car (88%), but also in the home (72%) and workplace (68%).

The Canadian government intervenes to save local news: Proposed legislation would require Meta, Google, and other tech platforms to pay publishers for their content in a bid to revitalize a struggling industry.

Streaming’s saturation point has driven demand for bundles: A new report from Nielsen shows that 64% of consumers want a bundle that makes it easier to stream.

Retailers have long had an eye on augmented reality (AR), but it still has unrealized potential for shopping purposes.

Ad industry sees gaming as a growth opportunity amidst industry turmoil: Inaugural PlayFronts event focuses on how brands can gain new customers and revenue.

TV measurement is still fracturing: WarnerMedia is the latest media giant to experiment with its own measurement services.

The future of linear TV advertising may be ruled by manufacturers: Roku tests a new program that could revitalize linear ads.

The Grammys’ slow growth is a sign of music industry trends: Listeners are less interested in new releases, damaging the broadcast’s viewership.

Coca-Cola’s Fortnite partnership shows gaming’s hold on the metaverse: Fortnite and Roblox can offer brands unlimited advertising space for virtual experiences.