The news: The battle for streaming dominance is heating up between Netflix and YouTube, as both look to assert themselves in an increasingly crowded field. The platforms accounted for 20% of all TV viewing time in May, per Nielsen data. Our take: YouTube’s appeal as a (mostly) free platform means it’ll likely continue its dominance—but all hope isn’t lost for Netflix, which continues to lead in paid streaming offerings. YouTube’s ad-supported free model reinforces its lead against Netflix—but Netflix can compete better if it can justify its premium price with exclusive content and an improved user experience.
The news: Consumers increasingly see connected TV (CTV) ads as helpful during the holiday shopping season, according to LG Ad Solutions’ latest study. A growing number—59%—say CTV ads help guide holiday purchases, a 43% YoY spike. Home screen CTV ads are clicking—26% of shoppers find them helpful for purchases, up 105% YoY. For advertisers, they’re fast becoming high-impact conversion tools amid rising ad loads. Our take: As holiday shopping habits extend into events like Prime Day and Cyber Monday, advertisers that align messaging, timing, and format across CTV platforms will win both attention and conversions.
YouTube is taking aim at AI-generated "slop" by revising its monetization rules on July 15, drawing a line between authentic content and spammy filler. The update targets low-effort uploads—like synthetic voiceovers over stock footage or AI-mimicked news—but exempts legitimate formats like reaction videos. The shift comes amid growing concern over AI-generated clutter, scams, and identity fakes, as seen in platforms from Spotify to Pinterest. With content volume soaring and faceless creators rising, YouTube’s move reflects a growing push to safeguard viewer trust and advertiser confidence. The platform now faces the challenge of enforcement while reinforcing that originality still matters.
The news: YouTube is scrapping its Trending page and Trending Now list, citing the growing diversity of topics on its platform and rise of content discovery through search and recommendation algorithms. Instead, YouTube will promote popular content in category-specific charts, such as Trending Music Videos and Weekly Top Podcast Shows. Our take: Brands should shift their focus beyond chasing virality and toward building content that fits audience niches. Reaching users through personalized feeds and hyper-specific categories could deliver more consistent engagement.
The news: Sports-centric streaming service Fubo has agreed to pay $3.4 million to settle a lawsuit claiming it illegally distributed customers’ personal data to advertisers without consent. The lawsuit alleged that Fubo went against the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) in 2023 by collecting personally identifiable information (PII), including data on consumers’ viewing history and location, and sharing this information with third party advertisers. Our take: Fubo’s lawsuit echoes growing concerns over how platforms approach data privacy and questions over the legality of using sensitive information to serve personalized ads—requiring that advertisers shift their strategies.
A new Adalytics investigation reveals that YouTube served ads from major brands like Disney, HBO Max, and Hulu alongside thousands of pirated films, live TV broadcasts, and exclusive streaming content—racking up over 250 million views. The report highlights systemic failures in YouTube’s content moderation and ad placement transparency, leaving advertisers with little visibility and minimal recourse for refunds. Worse, some studios may have inadvertently paid to retarget users who pirated their own content. As copyright enforcement lags and automation is gamed, brands and rights holders face financial, reputational, and legal risks in one of digital media’s biggest ecosystems.
The news: YouTube’s viewing dominance is pushing publishers and media companies to look beyond it as a marketing channel and adopt it as a primary platform for airing TV episodes and original content. National Geographic now airs linear rerun streams on YouTube, and NBCU launched YouTube-centric media brands like Comedy Bites and Family Flicks. Our take: Brands should prioritize YouTube just as they do TV and TikTok, not as a dumping ground for extra assets. Launching campaigns with a YouTube-first media strategy—including original YouTube content and creator-first formats like Shorts—is the new table stakes.
The news: TikTok is reportedly exploring a US-only version of the app amid ongoing discussions of a US ban and selloff, per The Information. The new app is said to align with the requirements of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Our take: A US-specific app would allow TikTok to potentially regain advertiser confidence in a critical market—but the new app’s success depends on how a new algorithm would impact the user experience.
The news: Streaming has officially surpassed pay TV in the US, with 50.4% of households no longer subscribing to cable or satellite, per our forecast. But streaming’s ad experience still has work to do. Hub Research finds two-thirds of viewers prefer live TV ad breaks over those in on-demand streaming, and Gen Z remains the least likely to adopt ad-supported tiers. Our take: Streaming isn’t a free pass to interrupt. Gen Z demands relevance, brevity, and control—meaning streaming platforms must reengineer how, when, and where they serve ads. The format must evolve if AVOD is to survive the next wave of viewer expectations.
The news: Amazon is shutting down its standalone free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platform Freevee in August. All Freevee content—including original series and live TV—will migrate to Prime Video. Advertisers take heed: As streaming giants consolidate, ad buyers might see fewer platforms but more fragmented audiences. This centralization of inventory boosts scale but narrows options for niche targeting. Our take: Amazon and its rivals are bundling content into fewer apps to boost ad revenue and reduce churn. But for advertisers, viewer behavior is splintering as audiences jump between services each month, chasing new shows, deals, and lower costs.
The news: Anime is gaining popularity across the globe, per a recent Dentsu report highlighting anime viewership trends, proving that marketers who haven’t yet paid attention to the medium need to tap in. 50% of Gen Z watches anime weekly, with 14% watching daily. Millennials also tune in frequently, with nearly half (48%) watching daily or weekly. Our take: Savvy marketers will pay attention to anime as a prime chance to reach the demographics driving the future—but going beyond a surface-level understanding of the medium will determine which marketers succeed and which fall behind.
The news: Netflix is deepening its investment in unscripted TV as it aims to expand its user base and gain ad-supported subscribers, per The Wall Street Journal. The streamer reportedly spoke with Spotify about partnering on live events, including live concerts and music awards shows. Our take: Netflix’s unscripted push is a strategic move that will solidify it as a destination for high-quality originals and reality programming alike, where ad inventory is ripe, costs are low, and audiences come from all walks of life.
The news: AMC Entertainment’s stock plummeted 7.4% on Tuesday, per TipRanks, after the chain started running additional ads before screenings—building on AMC’s 27.8% YTD loss. AMC simultaneously announced a debt and financing agreement that included $223 million in new financing for debt maturing in 2026 and converting at least $143 million worth of existing debt into equity. Our take: Higher ad revenues for AMC could offset the chain’s financial difficulties, but its refinancing plan shows ads alone aren’t enough. Investors are seeking a clear path to consistent profitability.
The news: Baidu has launched MuseSteamer, an enterprise-only AI tool that converts images into 10-second videos using three output modes—Turbo, Pro, and Lite—while upgrading its core search engine to support multimodal inputs. The tool targets businesses looking for scalable, automated creative output. Our take: With nearly half of marketers and creators now using AI for video daily, Baidu is doubling down on the enterprise market. MuseSteamer distinguishes itself from consumer-facing tools by offering speed, reliability, and tight workflow integration. As video becomes the default for content, the winners will be platforms that deliver pro-grade output without creative friction.
The news: Paramount has settled a lawsuit with Donald Trump after the president sued the company following a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris that he argued contained “deceptive doctoring,” the company announced Tuesday. Sources cited by The Hollywood Reporter claim the lawsuit posed a threat to Paramount’s pending merger with Skydance, which will require the Trump administration’s approval. Our take: While the settlement could pave the way for Paramount and Skydance’s merger, it raises questions about the future of media companies who are perceived as holding a liberal bias—and concerns about increasing censorship in the current political environment.
The only certain thing about TikTok’s sale is more uncertainty: Washington keeps kicking the can on a US sale, leaving TikTok to convince advertisers not to panic.
The news: Apple’s F1: The Movie made $144 million globally in its opening weekend, becoming the company’s first box office success after prior flops. With standout reviews and marketing synced across the Apple ecosystem, the Brad Pitt-led film was driven by premium formats like IMAX and high youth turnout. Our take: F1 validates Apple’s blockbuster ambitions, but success here is about more than ticket sales. It’s a brand-building tool, aimed at strengthening Apple TV+ and its wider services. Turning big-screen moments into lasting streaming growth is the next test—especially as Apple balances cost, competition, and the evolving economics of global theatrical releases.
The news: YouTube launched an AI search function that could streamline the content discovery journey but pose problems for smaller creators and influencers. The feature gives users a carousel of relevant videos in response to their search queries, similar to Google’s AI Overviews. Our take: With YouTube’s vast content library, AI search could help users find relevant content faster, though opacity around how its algorithm surfaces videos means creators may need to experiment with keywords and video titles to see which strategies get their content placed in AI video carousels.
The news: Higgsfield’s Soul is the latest AI-powered image- and video-generation service that’s fine-tuned for “fashion-grade realism,” making the output resemble professional photos and videos without the plasticky, overprocessed feel of typical AI visuals. Our take: For less than $10 a month, freelancers and marketing teams can now fast-track campaign proposals and client pitches with high-quality visuals. As AI tools become more accessible, the advantage goes to creatives who learn to shape them strategically—those are the ones who’ll win the big contracts. Marketers should treat tools like Soul it as an accelerant, not a replacement. Use it to prototype fast, align on visual direction, and cut production waste.
The news: Linear ad impressions declined 4.25% YoY in Q1, falling from about 92% of impressions in early 2023 to around 86% in March 2025, per iSpot’s Q1 TV Ad Transparency Report. But despite the decline, linear ad spend grew 4% in Q1, reaching $12.34 billion—indicating that while audience preferences are shifting, advertiser interest in linear remains steady. Our take: The most effective ad strategies will strike a balance between sustaining investment in linear to capitalize on its scale and reliability, and steadily increasing investment in streaming to align with evolving viewer behavior and future-proof campaign performance.