Upfronts are Netflix’s coming-out party: This is the week it became an ad company. Really.
CTV ad fraud surges: It’s up 69%, with unprotected campaigns bearing the brunt of the fraud.
YouTube upfront highlights innovative ads and AI focus: Platform aims to give advertisers new ways to engage as data shows it is gaining US TV viewers.
Tesla’s embrace of advertising is part of its maturation process: In a significant strategy shift, Elon Musk says the company will buy ads for the first time.
US upfront TV ad spending will fall by 3.6% to $18.64 billion for the 2023–2024 TV season, a downward revision of 5.0% from our previous forecast.
It’s been an upfronts season like none other as digital creeps into linear’s territory and the Writers Guild of America writers’ strike rages on. “We’re kind of at an inflection point,” said our analyst Paul Verna. From a buyer’s market to tumult at NBCUniversal, here are five trends Verna noted from upfronts so far.
Baidu's Q1 profits and revenues exceeded market predictions, buoyed by increased advertising spending in the wake of China's post-COVID economic revival and promising future integration of its AI-driven chatbot, Ernie bot.
Meta is way ahead of competitors in US video ad spend, with 30.1% share this year compared with YouTube’s 8.3% and TikTok’s 6.5%, according to our forecast. TikTok is on YouTube’s tail as it gains share, but the short video newcomer won’t surpass YouTube before the end of our forecast period in 2025.
Disney adapts to industry challenges: House of Mouse emphasizes ESPN's sports offerings and nonscripted content at upfronts.
While Meta struggles with innovation and attracting younger users, at Snapchat, innovation and Gen Z users are in high supply. So why is the company struggling? “Snap doesn’t lack when it comes to innovation,” our analyst Jasmine Enberg said on a recent episode of our “Behind the Numbers” podcast. “But there are serious questions about the health of its core business, and it really needs to focus on turning those things around.”
Vice is the latest digital publisher to burst: The company has filed for bankruptcy after a year of searching for a buyer, a victim of tough economics.
NBCUniversal highlights Peacock at upfront: Media titan reflects the industry's digital tilt amidst picketing and leadership changes
As the so-called AI arms race heats up, US site visit data from digital intelligence platform Similarweb reflects early changes in consumer behavior.
The US is the overwhelming center of gravity for all things advertising—and it will remain that way, even though 2023 will see a slight share drop for the country across various metrics. By the end of next year, the US shares of total and digital ad spending will increase once again.
This week’s upfronts may be judged in relation to recent NewFronts: Presentations highlighted advances in streaming, ad targeting, short-form video, and AI.
Netflix moves its first-ever upfront presentation to streaming: The Writers Guild has said it will picket all advertising events at a time Netflix needs to make an impression.
US connected TV (CTV) ad spend will continue to grow through 2027, when it will reach $40.90 billion, according to our forecast. Apart from a small bump next year, ad spend on TV (including broadcast and cable TV) will decline over the next few years. Still, TV’s share of total ad spend is larger than CTV’s, indicating it remains a key player in marketers’ ad strategies.
Meta showcased upcoming AI enhancements for its business solutions, emphasizing messaging apps and video. It aims to leverage AI to drive innovation until the metaverse matures.
The Trade Desk thrived in Q1: Amid a programmatic slowdown, the company leans into CTV growth to continue its ascendancy.
US digital ad spend growth will return to double digits next year at 11.2% growth, following 2023’s slower growth of 7.8%. Growth certainly won’t return to the 37.6% growth we saw in 2021, but it will increase steadily. Come 2025, US digital ad spend will pass $300 billion and keep climbing to nearly $400 billion by the end of 2027.