All eyes have been on streaming at this year’s upfronts. Sports are moving to digital, new (and old) trends are emerging for ad buying and delivery, and political advertising has been surprisingly quiet. Here are four themes that stood out this upfronts season.
Most subscription streaming services offer ad-free and ad-supported plans. After Amazon Prime Video introduced its ad plan in January, Apple TV+ became the biggest advertising holdout among streamers. Advertising holdouts have gradually accepted commercial breaks in their programming.
OpenAI loses key superalignment researchers: Upheaval at the genAI startup raises questions about safety and governance—pointing to Big Tech’s advantages in the AI race
Big Tech bleeds talent over RTO policies: A study found that senior employees left for competitors with more flexible policies, potentially impacting AI era productivity and innovation.
Disney, Fox, and WBD unveil Venu Sports: New streaming service still has hurdles to overcome before fall 2024 debut.
Netflix to develop in-house ad platform: The streaming giant will end its Microsoft partnership to offer better targeting and analytics.
At Upfronts, Warner Bros. Discovery leans into streaming ad innovation: New formats include shoppable ads and contextual targeting, aiming to improve viewer experience and ad performance.
Netflix partners with NFL: The platform will be streaming live Christmas Day games to attract new subscribers—and advertisers.
Disney will “pretty dramatically” reduce spending on linear content: Despite a streaming-first pivot, the company finds success distributing content on both linear and digital.
YouTube’s advertising and creator strategy is paying off: The company boasted significant viewer and ad spend growth at Upfronts, alongside new ad formats fueled by AI.
“Fragmentation creates a headache in determining meaningful performance. That puts a lot of weight in the trust of the attribution models across all of your CTV ad buys,” Erik Gray, director of product analytics at MNTN, said at our recent EMARKETER Summit. But with a growing market, with more streaming channels and viewers, comes more opportunity to reach the right audience. Here are three ways to boost the success of your CTV ad campaigns amid fragmentation.
Despite having 7 million paid subscribers, Meta is shuttering the Facebook-based work service to build better AI and mixed reality business solutions
96% of subscription leaders in VOD, software, apps, and games are forecasting growth. They’re prioritizing customer retention and AI investments.
Prime Video hosts first upfront show: Amazon unveils a star-studded lineup of new series, movies, and sports content to attract advertisers.
Microsoft finds the economics of Game Pass may not be working out: A number of high-profile studio closures send confusing signals about the titan’s direction.
Comcast launches StreamSaver: The low-cost bundle with Peacock, Netflix, and Apple TV+ is designed to attract cord-cutters. Bundling is the new cable.
What do Disney, YouTube, and NBCU have in common? They’re the top 3 companies by TV usage, per Nielsen, thanks to their vast array of content.
LG Ads introduces new CTV ad formats: CMO Tony Marlow discusses ad relevance and innovative opportunities in an exclusive interview.
US digital audio ad spend will reach $7.12 billion this year, according to our March 2024 forecast.
Electronic Arts begins the push for in-game advertising: The conglomerate said it hopes to debut ads in its big-budget games as the industry seeks revenue growth.