The news: Snap is seeking outside funding for its AR Spectacles as it struggles to compete with Meta platforms and TikTok, per The Information. Our take: Bringing in outside capital could help Snap accelerate AR development without draining its core business. The possibility of gathering outside investment also highlights how critical Snap’s AR bet has become and how high the stakes are. Staying competitive requires Snap to prove Spectacles can evolve past a niche hardware play and compete with strong AI alternatives. If it can’t, Snap may get stuck in the middle, overshadowed by platforms that are faster, bigger, and richer.
Acxiom, IPG Mediabrands, and IRIS.TV have partnered to launch Acxiom Contextual CTV, a privacy-safe targeting tool powered by IRIS_ID. The solution analyzes content context—genre, subject, tone—without using personal identifiers, addressing rising privacy concerns as cookies disappear. Already present in 17–40% of US bidstream inventory, IRIS.TV enables more accurate targeting, while early pilots show higher video completion rates and stronger brand lift. Publishers benefit too, with CPMs rising as much as 25%. With CTV ad sales projected to hit $46.9 billion by 2028, this approach could set a new industry standard for performance, compliance, and contextual relevance.
The news: Audio ad platform Odeeo and content creation platform Wondercraft today announced an in-game audio ad partnership that will allow advertisers to craft audio ads in multiple languages in minutes. The partnership will integrate Wondercraft’s AI-powered creative production tools with Odeeo’s in-game audio solutions, with features to craft, localize, and personalize content. Our take: Odeeo and Wondercraft’s collaboration promises potential, capitalizing on the steady trajectory of time spent with gaming while accounting for gamer preferences for ads that are non-intrusive and integrate with the game’s environment.
The news: YouTube Music is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a slate of new features, bringing it closer to serving as a full Spotify replacement. Our take: As music platforms evolve into social ecosystems, brand strategies should adapt from passive ad placements to active participation. Testing new ad formats in Taste Match playlists and comments could provide organic brand presence, while partnering with artists who already bridge YouTube’s properties opens access to engaged, music-first communities.
The news: Apple is hiking Apple TV+ subscriptions from $9.99 to $12.99 a month in the US and other select markets. The change took effect Thursday for new subscribers and will begin within 30 days of renewal for existing ones. Annual plans and Apple One bundles remain unchanged. Our take: Price hikes may stabilize short-term revenue, but they heighten the churn risk when loyalty is fragile. Apple is betting that prestige shows and an ad-free edge justify a 30% hike, but with churn peaking, this risks price-sensitive viewers simply switching away.
The news: Podcast ads are turning passive listeners into active consumers and driving measurable outcomes for brands, per a Nielsen study. Podcast campaigns led to a 10-point boost in brand awareness; an 8-point increase in information-seeking; and a 6-point increase in recommendation and purchase intent. Our take: Podcasting’s high engagement and success for brands makes it an increasingly critical investment—but key considerations must be kept in mind. Host-read ads perform best. Brands are most likely to thrive with podcast ads when the host is an actual user of the products advertised and comes across as authentic.
Out-of-home (OOH) ads prompt an average 13.3% growth in US ad awareness, outpacing TV (10.2%), digital (3.9%), and connected TV (2.2%), according to a July report from Clear Channel Outdoor and Kantar.
Generative AI is rapidly moving from novelty to necessity in advertising, collapsing production costs and timelines while expanding creative possibilities. National TV ads that once required six figures and weeks of work can now be made in days for a fraction of the budget, opening broadcast-quality campaigns to smaller advertisers. With nearly 90% of large video advertisers already adopting AI, use cases like personalization, ideation, and versioning are proliferating. Yet consumer skepticism remains strong—especially among older audiences—underscoring that human craft and cultural nuance still matter. The challenge ahead: merging automation’s efficiency with trust and authentic creativity at scale.
Nexstar is acquiring Tegna in a $6.2 billion deal that would expand its reach to 265 stations and 39% of US TV households, pending FCC approval. CEO Perry Sook says the merger is essential for competing with Big Tech, while critics warn it could weaken local journalism. The timing comes as regulators signal openness to loosening ownership caps. Local TV ad spending is projected at $17.27 billion in 2025, with broadcast accounting for most of it, but growth lags digital channels. Nexstar is betting that consolidation and scale will help protect broadcast revenue against mounting digital competition.
Streaming captured 47.3% of US TV viewing in July, a record share that underscores the medium’s dominance as linear declines. YouTube rose to 13.4% of TV use, its highest level yet, while Netflix surged 5% month-over-month to 8.8%, leading the top 10 streaming titles. The Roku Channel and Peacock also hit records, fueled by strong franchises and creator-driven content. Meanwhile, cable slid to 22.2% and broadcast fell to a new low of 18.4%. With YouTube and Netflix now equaling cable’s share, streaming has become the default destination for mass viewing—even as subscription fatigue looms.
32% of US connected TV (CTV) users find traditional TV ads useful/helpful for holiday gift info, while 34% say the same about streaming TV ads, according to June 2025 data from LG Ad Solutions.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss if the death of the Late Show is “the canary in the linear coal mine” and the biggest takeaways from the landmark NFL and ESPN deal. Join our conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Editor, Daniel Konstantinovic, and Vice President of Content, Paul Verna. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
MS NOW rebrand targets broader news reach: MSNBC aims to scale beyond its niche as TV audiences fragment globally.
The news: YouTube has made an official inquiry about purchasing the rights to future Academy Awards ceremonies in its latest live events push, per Bloomberg. The move comes after viewership increased slightly for the most recent Oscars ceremony, driven by simultaneous airing on ABC and Hulu. Our take: Rather than competing head-on with broadcast, YouTube can position itself as a complementary streaming partner that extends the Oscars’ reach by highlighting shifting viewership trends that capture audiences broadcast alone struggles to reach and its edge in premium video advertising.
Tubi is making creators central to its future, blending influencer-driven shows with its ad-supported streaming model. The Fox-owned AVOD platform, projected to reach nearly 80 million US viewers this year, has hired TikTok veteran Kudzi Chikumbu to expand creator partnerships and inked deals with stars like MrBeast and CelinaSpookyBoo. The strategy taps into audiences who favor authentic, entertaining content while keeping costs below scripted originals. With US ad revenues forecast to rise from $1.20 billion in 2025 to $1.56 billion in 2027, creator-led programming could become Tubi’s “third lane” of streaming—and a key differentiator in a crowded market.
The news: Upfront spending on primetime TV declined for the third year in a row as viewers shift to streaming and advertisers follow suit, per Media Dynamics. Our take: Though linear still commands more ad spending than streaming for now, money and viewership are becoming more entrenched within streaming.
The news: Netflix is proving its power as the dominant subscription streaming platform with several recent ad wins. The streamer announced that it’s sold all of its available commercial time in preparation for its two Christmas day NFL games, also noting sponsorship deals with partners like Google and FanDuel. Our take: With its strong lead in ad revenue growth, position as the most-used subscription video service in the US, consistently low subscriber churn rate, and content strategy tailored to unique markets, Netflix is likely to continue dominating advertiser investment in connected TV.
The news: Gamers are more involved in gaming content than ever before, thanks in large part to titles like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite. And they’re not keeping that interest solely on-platform. 46% of gamers say their time spent creating in-game video game content has somewhat or significantly increased over a year ago, per Bain & Company’s Gaming Report 2025. About 20% say they spend less time. 27% of gamers’ social media time and 25% of their streaming video time is spent focused on gaming-related content. Our take: The gaming audience is growing, and it’s not focused on a single platform or console. Gamers’ interests reach through the game and into social media, streaming, TV, and audio, giving marketers a wide path to reach gamers where they are.
The news: Paramount outlined the future of its cable and studio assets on Wednesday a week after completing its merger with Skydance Media. Paramount president Jeff Shell characterized the company’s vision for its cable networks, including MTV, BET, and Nickelodeon, not as shrinking linear assets, but as “brands that we have to redefine.” Our take: Paramount’s emphasis on growing its traditional media businesses signals a bet that legacy channels can drive meaningful revenues when accounting for shifting viewing habits and pursuing higher-volume content pipelines.
The news: The podcast ad market is maturing and evolving past an experimental medium into a reliable resource for repeat advertisers and larger test budgets. Q2 podcast ad spending grew 28% YoY and 17% quarter over quarter (QoQ), per Magellan AI’s latest Quarterly Benchmark report. Our take: Podcast audiences are high-intent, highly engaged listeners. Maintaining a positive user experience means advertising remains effective and trusted. Marketers should use podcasts as a bridge medium, not just for conversions, but for brand memory and affinity.