Media Buying

US adults will spend 10.6% of their mobile time playing games this year, per our forecast. But we expect just 3.9% of US mobile ad spend will go to the category in 2023.

AI companies are running out of free content to train on: They are working with publishers on copyright deals that could range in the millions.

The need for supply path optimization (SPO) arises from concurrent trends—among them cost reduction, sustainability, privacy compliance, and inventory quality assurance. The deprecation of third-party identifiers is also fueling SPO initiatives, and supply-side platforms (SSPs) are particularly at risk of being disintermediated by more intimate first-party data partnerships between publishers and buyers. SPO is behind a few recent developments:

Cannes conversations: AI, creators, Big Tech, and DE&I to take the spotlight at next week’s International Festival of Creativity.

Retail media meets live sports: Walmart Connect partners with NBCUniversal for targeted advertising.

Mass protest on Reddit: Over 8,000 subreddits go private due to API changes as platform's financial aims clash with community interests.

Walmart Connect is teaming up with NBCU to power ads in sports livestreams: The partnership is part of Walmart Connect’s growing CTV ambitions, which includes an expanded deal with Roku.

TikTok’s Script Generator accelerates ad creation: New tool crafts video scripts with a click, though caution is advised to avoid generic content.

EU antitrust case could have a massive impact on Google: As in the US, regulators are considering forcing divestment in ad tech business.

As privacy regulations ramp up, brands across verticals are increasing their focus on premium environments that don’t rely on cookies. In this video, Arity’s Jennifer Gold, director of product marketing, shares why private marketplaces (PMPs) fit the bill by offering access to high quality inventory, programmatic efficiency, brand safety, and transparency.

Healthcare marketing budgets went digital in 2022: A survey of the top 100 healthcare marketing agencies shows digital work is outpacing other media channels.

Connected TV's ascendancy: GroupM's mid-year forecast points to a significant surge in CTV advertising, signaling a pivotal shift in media consumption and ad strategies.

Microsoft gives an accidental look into the future of search ads: A Bing misstep ignites concerns about what advertising looks like in the AI age.

Google offers publishers another olive branch: The company will launch a news platform called Showcase in the US this summer that will pay over 150 publishers.

Password-sharing crackdown is a win for Netflix: Despite begrudging complaints from users, Netflix is seeing some of its highest subscription growth in years.

Latin America traditional media spending bounces back: Recovering out-of-home advertising will help lift outlays to prepandemic levels.

Baby boomers make up the largest share of TV viewers, while 25- to 34-year-olds predominate CTV usage. Marketers increasingly plan their buys across these mediums to achieve their targeting goals.

Retailers worldwide will spend $4.09 billion advertising on YouTube this year, per WARC Media. Next year, that figure will increase by nearly half a billion to $4.56 billion.

The move shows Apple’s increased focus on spatial computing, likely triggering competition and higher valuations in the AR industry.

On today's episode, we introduce you to the FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) services (e.g., Tubi, The Roku Channel, and Pluto TV), explain how they became so popular, and look ahead to see what their ceiling is. "In Other News," we talk about whether the advertising space is on the mend and how significant of an ad player Microsoft is. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Ross Benes and director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.