YouTube gaming levels up: Video giant is diversifying with Playables, potentially opening new revenue avenues in a market showing signs of weakness.
On today's episode, we discuss when people are most likely to boycott a brand, whether folks will shop elsewhere if they are charged for returns, where the NBA will live next season, if an ad-supported tier for Amazon Prime Video will work, how much vacation time people take in the US versus other countries, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our forecasting writer Ethan Cramer-Flood and analysts Ross Benes and Paul Verna.
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.
Platforms lean into livestream ecommerce despite tepid shopper interest: Just 18% of US adults have shopped via livestream—but TikTok, eBay, and Poshmark are forging ahead anyway.
Although Spotify has dominated music streaming, its new focus on user-created and video content puts it in competition with established players like YouTube and TikTok.
Password-sharing crackdown is a win for Netflix: Despite begrudging complaints from users, Netflix is seeing some of its highest subscription growth in years.
The premium VOD revolution: Universal Pictures strikes gold by continuing to offer movies shortly after theatrical release.
On today's episode, we discuss how much advertisers spend on traditional TV, whether connected TV (CTV) is stealing all of its dollars, and how much time Americans spend watching both. "In Other News," we talk about the one big takeaway from this year's upfronts and NewFronts and whether Peacock's new pricing strategy will work. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Paul Verna.
Amazon missed out on billions in football sponsorships: The company’s first year of live sports streaming could foreshadow its competitors’ future.
Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services like The Roku Channel, Tubi, and Pluto TV will bring in tens of millions of viewers this year, though time spent with the platforms isn’t comparable to that of Netflix or YouTube, according to our forecast. Still, marketers should keep an eye on these streaming services, especially those with parent companies like Paramount or Fox that may be able to spin free viewers into paid members.
Prime Video mulls ads, but football paints a worrying sign: The streaming service is planning an ad-supported tier despite its video ad growing pains.
The PGA and LIV Golf merge in a culture shock for sports: Broadcast partners don’t know if their deals still stand, and brands weigh jumping on board.
The Vision Pro headset puts Apple at the forefront of the augmented reality discussion, but the device’s business focus and exorbitant pricing could limit wider appeal.
YouTube's policy reversal: Balancing free speech and controlling misinformation could influence political ad spending in the 2024 cycle.
Connected TV (CTV) ad spend in the US will pass $25 billion this year and continue to grow by double digits through the end of our forecast period in 2027. Even with a challenging market, the format is in decent shape.
The writers strike is forcing other Hollywood unions to the table: The DGA renewed its contract, while SAG-AFTRA voted to authorize a strike.
Disney reaches its goal of 7,000 job cuts: The entertainment giant has entered a complicated period with slow streaming growth and battles in Florida.
Netflix’s enhancements to its ad-supported tier has helped it amass 5 million monthly active users worldwide, though its password crackdown could slow momentum. Meanwhile, Max, the combined streaming service of HBO Max and Discovery+, debuted to “early positive feedback,” and Paramount+ hopes partnering with Showtime will prevent it from losing subscribers.
Ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) services will gain more than triple the US viewers that subscription OTT video will this year, per our forecast. AVOD will add 13.3 million viewers, including 4.3 million from free premium platforms, for a total of 157.1 million. Meanwhile, subscription OTT services will gain 4.3 million viewers to reach 222.2 million.
The strike's impact on film: The WGA work halt could have an outsized long-term impact.