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What if the AI revolution succeeds at almost everything—but no single corporate monopoly, government, or master agent actually wins?

In this episode of the WPP Media Intelligence podcast, hosts Kate Scott-Dawkins and Sam Weston explore "The Long Middle"—a potential 2035 scenario where AI capabilities grow exponentially, but market competition remains open, messy, and contested. Rather than consolidating into a corporate monopoly (The Closed Loop), individual agent dominance (Agent Commons), or state control (The Sovereign Stack), this future features continuous friction, fragmented regulation, and a balance of commercial players. Kate and Sam analyze how consumers will delegate routine tasks while retaining human agency, how hyper-personalization affects mass culture, and what strategic bets advertisers should make to navigate an environment of constant market competition.

Key Topics Discussed

• Defining "The Long Middle": Understanding a commercially driven, highly plural AI ecosystem where no single platform or stack achieves absolute dominance.
• System Friction & Guardrails: How regulation, safety concerns, and economics prevent total corporate lock-in or complete consumer autonomy.
• Selective Delegation: Distinguishing between routine problem-solving purchases delegated to AI agents and identity-driven decisions retained by humans.
• The Creative Singularity & Content Abundance: Navigating an era of infinite machine-generated content where taste, trust, and distinctiveness become the primary sources of value.
• Mass Culture vs. Personalization: Why shared real-world events (like major sports tournaments) become more valuable as media experiences become increasingly personalized.
• Ad Industry Cycles: Comparing current AI trends to historical cycles of centralized vs. decentralized computing and media consolidation vs. fragmentation.
• Practical Advice for Marketers: Identifying strategic bets (investing in durable brand assets), mapping risks (over-indexing on short-term attention capture), and tracking market signals (monitoring the "delegation gap").
• Scenario Ranking: Evaluating the likelihood of all four AI futures (Closed Loop, The Long Middle, Sovereign Stack, and Agent Commons).

00:00 - Introduction & The Premise of "The Long Middle"

02:00 - Series Recap & Defining the Long Middle

03:25 - Mapping the Long Middle on the Matrix

04:20 - A Snapshot of Daily Life in 2035

06:14 - Why Monopolies Fail: Friction, Regulation, and Economics

08:35 - The Rise of the AI Policy Industrial Complex

10:18 - Market Cycles & Historical Tech Competition

12:08 - AI Safety & Counter-Reactions to Advanced Models

15:18 - CapEx Investment Risks & Macro Economic Impacts

17:40 - Human Decision-Making vs. Agent Delegation

19:45 - The Creative Singularity & Content Abundance

21:11 - Mass Culture & Shared Moments in a Personalized World

23:15 - The 10-Year Path to 2035

24:55 - Strategic Advice for Advertisers: Bets, Risks & Signals

28:52 - The "Squishmallow" Multi-Agent Future

29:45 - Ranking the Four AI Scenarios & Wrap-Up

Kate Scott-Dawkins and Sam Weston continue their "Four Futures" series exploring potential scenarios for AI and advertising in 2035. This week, they dive into The Sovereign Stack—a future scenario characterized by concentrated control driven by public, civic, and government interests. They discuss how nation-states are asserting control over critical AI dependencies like compute, data, and security, how this fragments the global internet into regional intelligence ecosystems, and what this geopolitical shift means for global brands, agencies, advertising infrastructure, and media measurement.

Key Topics Discussed

• Defining The Sovereign Stack: How governments maintain control over the intelligence supply chain (compute, data, digital identity, cybersecurity) without necessarily owning every AI model outright.
• Geopolitical Regionalization: How AI environments will reflect regional values and state priorities across the US, Europe, China, and the Global South.
• Cybersecurity as a Catalyst: How threats to critical physical and civic infrastructure (water systems, healthcare, utilities) accelerate state intervention and state-guaranteed AI defense.
• Capital and Infrastructure Demands: The massive physical investments required for data centers, power grids, and chip supply chains, alongside potential new tax policies on automated productivity.
• Open Source Models & State Sovereignty: Using open-weight models to reduce national dependence on foreign platforms and keep sensitive data local.
• Impact on Global Advertisers and Agencies: Navigating fragmented local jurisdictions, maintaining universal brand identity while localizing AI execution, and the evolving role of agencies as systems integrators and diplomatic partners.
• Backcasting Timeline (2026–2035): The five-stage progression from early public-private partnerships to nationalized champions, AI-native states, and international AI trade agreements.
• Strategic Actions for Marketers: Building a sovereign-ready commercial stack, managing state-affiliation brand risks, and tracking key policy signals.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction & Welcome

01:16 - What is The Sovereign Stack?

02:30 - Ownership vs. Control over AI Dependencies

04:41 - Living in 2035: Borders on the Intelligence Layer

05:31 - Geopolitical Divergence: US, Europe, China, and the Global South

08:08 - Current Signals of Government AI Intervention

13:31 - Cybersecurity as the Catalyst for State Involvement

17:06 - Physical Infrastructure: Compute, Silicon, and Chips

19:09 - The Positive Vision for Sovereign AI

21:42 - How Governments Currently Shape Advertising

25:53 - Impact on Global Brands and Marketing Strategy

28:51 - Media Ecosystems, Clean Rooms, and Measurement

30:02 - Backcasting Timeline: From 2026 to 2035

34:02 - Three Strategic Actions for Advertisers Today

37:16 - Media Recommendations and Closing Remarks

What if the future of AI isn't controlled by a few massive tech platforms, but by you?

In Episode 2 of our four-part mini-series exploring plausible futures for 2035, Kate Scott-Dawkins and Sam Weston flip the board to unpack The Agent Commons—a fully distributed, user-directed vision of the future.

In this world, consumers own their own AI agents, manage their data inside private household "data bunkers," and send their software into the market to negotiate, compare products, and make purchases on their behalf.

Key topics discussed

• How personal AI gatekeepers alter the buyer journey.
• The 6 key conditions needed for this decentralized future to scale.
• How advertising splits into "Human Media" (brand storytelling) and "Machine Media" (structured data & specs).
• Why brands must prepare for a "Market of One" and radical comparability.
• Strategic bets, risks to map, and signals to watch for 2026.

Chapter timestamps:

• 00:00 – Welcome Back & Recapping "The Closed Loop"
• 00:55 – Sports Fandom, NBA Headwinds, and Disney + TikTok News
• 03:15 – Defining the Matrix: Control vs. Governance Axes
• 04:16 – What is the Agent Commons? (2035 Vision)
• 06:12 – The Convenience Paradox: Will "Normies" Adopt Distributed AI?
• 08:14 – Household Data Bunkers & Personal Memory Vaults
• 11:32 – Backcasting Condition 1: Open-Source & Independent Model Quality
• 12:35 – Backcasting Condition 2: Edge Computing & Local Compute Infrastructure
• 14:05 – Backcasting Condition 3: Portable Memory & Context Standards
• 15:31 – Backcasting Condition 4: Shared Protocols, Micro-Payments & Agent Wallets
• 17:27 – Backcasting Condition 5: Eroding Trust in Platform-Owned AI
• 18:42 – Backcasting Condition 6: Fiduciary Duty & Legal Protection for Agents
• 20:45 – Day in the Life (2035): Instructing Your Personal Buyer Agent
• 23:38 – The Shift in Advertising: Human Emotion vs. Machine Logic
• 27:32 – Brand Power: Becoming a Standing Instruction
• 28:37 – Automated Dynamic Pricing & 1-on-1 Market Negotiations
• 31:38 – Who Pays for Compute? Subscriptions, Monetized Intent & Bifurcated Access
• 35:05 – The Evolving Role of Agencies: Market Makers for Markets of One
• 37:01 – Timeline to 2035: From Presidential Campaigns to Mass Data Bunker Adoption
• 40:04 – 2026 Action Plan: Strategic Bets, Risks to Map & Signals to Watch

In the first installment of a four-part summer miniseries, hosts Kate Scott-Dawkins and Sam Weston pressure-test one of four plausible — and deliberately contrasting — futures for AI, advertising, and power by 2035.

The scenario under the microscope: The Closed Loop, a world where a handful of vertically integrated platform ecosystems, not governments or open markets, come to govern everyday commercial life. The overarching story: convenience becomes a form of private governance, AI agents become the primary interface between brands and consumers, and marketing itself evolves into an exercise in shaping the instructions humans give their digital assistants.

Key Topics Discussed

• A control-vs-distribution framework for mapping four AI-driven futures, building on WPP's 2020 "Advertising in 2030" report
• The Closed Loop scenario: persistent AI assistants that manage household purchasing, negotiate on your behalf, and default to platform-preferred merchants and payment systems
• Why closed platforms must consistently outperform open-source alternatives for consumers to accept this trade-off
• The regulatory gap between AI capability development and policymaking, referencing Dario Amodei's commentary and Mark Zuckerberg's Wall Street Journal op-ed on open AI
• How brand purchase decisions increasingly get intermediated by agents — and why "human prompt injection" (shaping brand preference before the prompt is even written) becomes a core marketing discipline
• Media planning's evolving role in identifying when and how brand preference actually gets set
• Global parallels already in motion outside the US, including Tencent's WeChat super-app, plus Xiaomi and ByteDance's platform ambitions
• The national champion question: will governments cede control to platforms, or assert regulatory authority over them
• A year-by-year backcast of how this future could unfold, from the "convenience bargain" (2028–2030) through agentic commerce maturity (2032–2033) to full platform-architected life (2034–2035)
• CRM supremacy, membership psychology (with a Costco parallel), and brand-specific platform variants as retention tools
• Three concrete moves for marketers in 2026: one strategic bet, one risk to map, and one signal to watch

Chapter Stamps

00:00 - Introduction & Cold Open

00:36 - Series Overview: Four Plausible Futures for 2035

04:32 - The Framework: Control vs. Distribution Axis

06:53 - Introducing "The Closed Loop" Scenario

09:35 - What's Missing Today: The Gap Between Now and 2035

11:09 - The Policy Race: Capability vs. Regulation

15:26 - Open vs. Closed AI: The Zuckerberg Op-Ed Debate

17:42 - The Existential Question: What Happens to Brands?

19:32 - Agents as Intermediaries & Platform Differentiation

21:38 - Human Prompt Injection & Brand Preference

24:41 - Agencies' New Role: Negotiating Platform Environments

26:49 - Beyond the US: Tencent, Xiaomi, ByteDance & Super Apps

27:55 - National Champions & the Government-Platform Power Struggle

29:19 - Backcasting the Timeline: How We Get There

32:23 - 2028–2030: The Convenience Bargain

34:30 - CRM Supremacy & the Membership Model

36:53 - 2034–2035: Platforms as Life's Architecture

40:21 - Three Moves for 2026: Bet, Risk, Signal

44:50 - Next Week Preview: "The Agent Commons"

The numbers are in — and they're bigger than anyone expected. WPP Media's President of Global Business Intelligence, Kate Scott-Dawkins, breaks down the This Year Next Year 2026 Global Midyear Forecast, and the headline says it all: global advertising revenue is now projected to grow 8.9% to $1.3 trillion by year's end — a significant upward revision from December's 7.1% forecast.

So what's driving the surge? In short: AI. An investment cycle of historic scale is proving remarkably resilient in the face of armed conflict in the Middle East, elevated oil prices, and deepening geopolitical fragmentation. From AI-native companies flooding the ad market to traditional advertisers deploying AI to sharpen efficiency, the technology is rewriting the economics of the industry in real time.

In this episode, we unpack what the midyear data really means for marketers:

• Global ad revenue has hit its highest share of GDP since 1999 — outpacing even the dot-com peak, but this time built on performance, not speculation
• Generative Search is on track to be the fastest-scaling ad channel ever recorded — from 5.1Bin2026toover5.1Bin2026toover100 billion by 2030
• Market power is increasingly concentrated: Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon alone control 57.6% of the global market outside China
• Content-driven advertising reaches $720.2 billion — but the story beneath the headline is uneven, with streaming, social, and gaming surging while linear TV and audio plateau
• Asia-based advertisers are emerging as a powerful global growth engine as they seek international expansion amid soft domestic demand

Kate is joined by Katie English, Global Head of Ad Product at Spotify, who brings a front-row perspective on how these sweeping industry shifts are playing out on one of the world's biggest streaming platforms.

Learn more about TYNY Midyear 2026 here: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/report-this-year-next-year-midyear-2026?utm_source=podcast

The numbers tell one story. The forces behind them tell a far more interesting one. In this mid-year edition of This Year Next Year, Kate Scott-Dawkins unpacks a forecast that has been significantly upgraded since December — not in spite of geopolitical turbulence, but in some ways because of it. From the AI investment cycle reshaping advertiser behaviour across every category, to a new advertising channel that could scale faster than anything the industry has ever seen, to the uncomfortable questions about what ad-funded platforms owe the people they serve — this is the episode that sets the agenda for the next 18 months.

Key Topics Discussed

• Why global ad growth has been upgraded to 9% — and what it says about the structural resilience of the industry in a world of conflict, inflation, and fractured consumer confidence
• The Gold Rush analogy at the heart of the forecast — and why California is, once again, at the centre of it all
• Generative Search: the brand new channel that could hit $100B by 2030, making it the fastest-scaling advertising format ever measured
• Why social media is now the single largest ad channel globally — and what threatens that dominance from 2027 onward
• Retail media's quiet takeover: how commerce advertising overtook all of television in 2025, and what agentic commerce does to that equation next
• The streaming crossover: why 2026 is the year US streaming finally surpasses linear in national TV ad revenue
• Out-of-Home's unlikely staying power — and what it reveals about the limits of algorithmic media
• Courts, platforms, and product liability: how two landmark 2026 rulings could fundamentally reshape the economics of social media
• The effervescence paradox — why people are retreating into AI-mediated solitude and simultaneously paying record prices to be in a crowd
• New surfaces, no rulebook: the creative opportunity waiting in AR, autonomous vehicles, and ambient computing
• What the forty-niners got badly wrong — and what that means for the choices the advertising industry faces right now

00:00 - Introduction and the Gold Rush analogy

02:00 - The upgraded forecast: headline numbers in context 06:00 - Three themes that frame everything else

10:00 - Where the money is moving: a channel by channel breakdown 1

8:00 - The bigger picture: political, economic, social, and technological forces

32:00 - Regional highlights

35:00 - Closing: Manifest Destiny and the future worth building

In one of the most consequential earnings weeks of 2026, hosts Kate Scott-Dawkins and Jeff Foster break down results from Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Reddit, Roku, Comcast, Rogers, Televisa Univision, and Spotify. The overarching story: digital advertising is not just healthy — it's accelerating, decoupling from broader macroeconomic pressures, and being fundamentally reshaped by AI. Meanwhile, sports continues to dominate the traditional TV conversation, and the Fed's most divided rate decision in decades signals turbulence ahead.

Key Topics Discussed

• Record digital ad growth from Alphabet (+19%), Meta (+33%), Amazon (+22%), and Reddit (+60%+) despite macro headwinds
• How AI is materially improving advertising outcomes across every major platform — from Meta's trillion-parameter ranking model to Google's AI-enabled campaign types
• The structural shift of ad spend away from traditional TV (projected to fall below 12% global share by 2030) toward search, retail media, and social
• Expansion of the advertiser base, including AI-endemic companies (OpenAI, Anthropic) spending ahead of IPOs
• Agentic commerce: Google's Universal Commerce Protocol, Amazon Rufus auto-buying, and Meta's in-app shopping — and what this means for the future of the purchase funnel
• Apple's deliberately vague AI narrative and its ~$10B estimated advertising business hiding within a $30B+ services segment
• Meta's underreported Pixel update — using AI to harvest advertiser site data — and critical implications for brand data governance strategy
• Three future scenarios for the AI model landscape, and why a messy, multi-model world requiring data orchestration is the most likely outcome
• Spotify's verified artist program as a response to AI-generated music (Deezer reports 44% of its catalog is AI-generated)
• The Fed holding rates at 3.5–3.75% with an 8-4 dissenting split — the most divided since October 1992
• Inflation and tariff impacts: more likely felt in 2027 than 2026 according to CPG commentary
• Sports as the undeniable anchor of linear TV: Comcast ad revenue up 135% (Super Bowl + Olympics), Rogers media up 82% (Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment), Televisa boosted by early FIFA World Cup pre-buys
• Why every brand likely needs a dedicated sports advertising strategy in 2026 and beyond

Chapter Stamps

00:00 - Introduction & Weekly Overview

02:02 - Big Tech Earnings: Headline Numbers

03:41 - Theme 1: AI-Driven Performance & Pricing Power

06:35 - Theme 2: Structural Share Shift Away from Traditional Media

07:21 - Theme 3: Advertiser Base Expansion & Growth Sectors

10:45 - Theme 4: Agentic Commerce & The Collapsing Purchase Funnel

13:51 - Apple Earnings & The AI Narrative

17:09 - The Three Future Scenarios for AI & Model Landscape

19:16 - Meta's Pixel Expansion & Data Governance Warning

22:07 - Spotify, Streaming & The AI-Generated Content Problem

23:26 - Macro Update: Fed Rate Decision & Inflation

28:20 - Traditional TV Deep Dive: Sports, Comcast, Rogers & Televisa

34:24 - Wrap Up & Closing Remarks

The headlines this week are loud — but the real story is in the fine print. In this episode of the Media Intelligence Podcast, WPP Media’s Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster and Nidhi Shah unpack why the viral claim that Meta is about to overtake Google in advertising is far more misleading than it first appears, and what it really says about revenue reporting, market share and media coverage of the ad industry.

Then the team turns to inflation, where rising oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty are pushing wholesale prices higher and keeping pressure on consumer budgets. They also look at what that means for advertisers, banks and branded demand, before moving into Netflix’s latest earnings and the ongoing question of whether ad-supported growth and live events can sustain momentum. The episode closes with a big policy shift in Europe, where new EU merger thinking could reshape media consolidation and create more room for pan-European scale.

Key Topics Discussed

• Why the “Meta will overtake Google in ad revenue” headline is misleading
• Net vs. gross revenue reporting in ad industry analysis
• Why Google still appears to hold a larger share of client ad budgets than Meta
• Rising wholesale inflation and the impact of oil prices on the broader economy
• How inflation can act as a catalyst for advertising investment rather than a simple demand shock
• Strong Q1 advertising growth among major U.S. banks
• Netflix’s earnings, slower guidance, and the role of live events in audience growth
• Ad-supported Netflix signups, programmatic buying and the platform’s monetization path
• The strategic importance of distribution, hardware ownership and ecosystem control
• New EU merger guidance that may favor scale, innovation and European consolidation
• What more permissive EU competition rules could mean for media owners and advertisers

00:00 Introduction
01:16 Meta vs. Google: the misleading ad revenue headline
09:55 Inflation, oil prices and macro uncertainty
14:21 Bank earnings and ad spend growth
18:46 Netflix earnings, ads and engagement
28:40 EU merger rules and European media consolidation
33:10 Week ahead and closing thoughts

Global advertising is proving more resilient than the headlines suggest — even as the Middle East conflict and rising oil prices rattle energy markets, consumer confidence and supply chains. In episode 92 of the WPP Media Intelligence podcast, Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster and Nidhi Shah break down what the oil disruption really means for ad budgets, why the ad market floor is holding, and what brands should do right now.

Plus: two landmark court rulings find Meta and YouTube liable for platform harm, Netflix makes its live sports debut with MLB opening night and draws 18 million viewers to its BTS concert, micro dramas emerge as a serious global media format, and the US ad market closes 2025 with a surprising 14.7% growth figure.

Key Topics Discussed

• Middle East conflict & oil disruption: Why global ad growth may hold despite the macro shock — and which sectors face the biggest risk
• Scenario planning for advertisers: Bull, base and bear case outlooks for 2025–2026 ad budgets
• Meta & YouTube legal verdicts: Platform liability, child safety rulings and what it means for brand advertisers
• Netflix live sports & live events: MLB opening night broadcast, the BTS concert hitting 18M viewers and top 10 in 80 countries, subscription price increases and the live events strategy
• Micro dramas: How short-form vertical video storytelling is going global and what the ad revenue model looks like
• US ad market 2025 results: 14.7% growth, digital advertising up 15.6%, digital newspapers up 10.4%
• 2026 US ad forecast: 7.4% growth projected, local TV under pressure in a midterm election year, out-of-home boosted by the World Cup

Chapters

00:00 - Middle East conflict and global ad market impact

15:57 - Meta and YouTube platform liability verdicts explained

20:47 - Netflix live sports, BTS and subscription price increases

25:39 - Micro dramas: the short form format going global

31:04 - US ad market 2025 results and 2026 forecast

34:20 - What to watch next week

Oil is surging and the headlines say brace for impact — but the relationship between energy prices and advertising spend is more nuanced than it looks. In this episode of the Media Intelligence Podcast, WPP Media's Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster and Nidhi Shah break down what rising oil prices actually mean for advertising budgets, media planning and brand strategy across five key markets: the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Australia.

The team unpacks why an oil shock today works as a macro stress multiplier rather than a direct spending killer — and what that means for marketing investment decisions in 2026.

Then it's into eCommerce, where US online retail crossed $1.23 trillion in 2025 and the UK hit nearly 29% of all retail sales online — and what the rise of global retail media networks means for brands and advertisers navigating this shift.

Topics covered: oil price impact on CPI and consumer spending, inflation risk by market, retail media growth, OpenAI's commerce strategy, Amazon's advertising ecosystem, and the global eCommerce players reshaping media investment.

00:00 Introduction

01:50 Oil prices and the macro stress multiplier

02:37 Market by market: US, Canada, Europe and Australia

14:30 China: EVs, exports and the labour market shift

17:17 eCommerce: where retail growth is actually happening

20:06 Retail media, agentic commerce and the $1B+ club

26:26 Amazon's content and commerce ecosystem

📊 Read the WPP Media Advertising Intelligence Framework — the full analysis of how AI is reshaping advertiser capabilities, competitive positioning and partner selection: https://www.wppmedia.com/thought-leadership/research-business-intelligence/advertising-intelligence-framework-first-edition?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep91

Women's Sports Are Booming — But Is Your Brand Keeping Up?

This week on the WPP Media Intelligence Podcast, hosts Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster, and Nidhi Shah are joined by special guest Denise Ocasio, Executive Director and Head of Investment at WPP Media, to unpack three of the biggest conversations shaping media and advertising right now.

First, they dive deep into women's sports — still on a record-breaking trajectory despite a quieter 2025 calendar. Denise shares why authentic storytelling, the creator economy, and smarter holistic video strategy are the keys to unlocking this still-undervalued media asset.

Then, as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East ripple through energy markets and newsrooms, the team examines what it means for advertisers — from out-of-home disruption in MENA to cable news preemptions in the US — and how brands navigate uncertainty without pulling back.

Finally, they break down the 2025 Top 50 Global Ad Sellers leaderboard — who climbed, who slipped, and what the rise of commerce media players like Uber, Netflix, and Reliance Industries signals about where the industry is headed.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Intro & episode overview
• 00:41 – Welcome: Denise Ocasio, Head of Investment, WPP Media
• 01:45 – Women's sports viewership trends: 2025 in review
• 03:13 – The power of athlete storytelling (Caitlin Clark effect)
• 04:31 – Brand authenticity in women's sports sponsorship
• 06:11 – Navigating fragmented video: reach vs. engagement
• 07:25 – The creator economy as the "new Hollywood"
• 08:27 – Are athletes exhausted by content creation demands?
• 10:51 – Sports rights fragmentation & the future of leagues
• 12:00 – AI, new platforms, and where sports media is headed
• 15:52 – Geopolitical tensions: economic and advertising impacts
• 17:31 – Energy prices, inflation, and central bank pressures
• 20:06 – MENA advertising: OOH, news demand, and cautious messaging
• 21:37 – US market signals: EVs, gas prices, cable news preemptions
• 24:08 – Versant Q4 earnings: $6.7B revenue, 9% ad decline
• 25:52 – 2025 Top 50 Global Ad Sellers leaderboard breakdown
• 29:05 – New entrants: Uber, Netflix, Reddit, Reliance, Globo
• 30:34 – Who fell: legacy TV broadcasters and newspapers
• 32:36 – Commerce media's growing dominance (9 of top 50)
• 34:10 – International Women's Day: female CEO & board representation
• 35:10 – What the team is watching next week

The ad market is starting to look like a three-body problem: streaming growth, linear decline, and event-driven spikes (sports + politics) — all colliding as deal rumors swirl around Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

Kate Scott-Dawkins hosts Jeff Foster and Nidhi Shah (WPP Media Business Intelligence) to break down Paramount and WBD earnings: Paramount+ up 17% with 78.9M subs, Pluto TV down 16% on monetization headwinds, and WBD streaming ad revenue up 20% (just over $1B) with 131.6M global streaming subscribers — plus the aftershock of losing NBA rights and the looming NFL renewal.

They also scan Europe’s pressure points (TF1, Atresmedia) as broadcasters raise streaming ad minutes and broaden advertiser access, then look at TelevisaUnivision (U.S. ad softness, tentpole demand, political and World Cup tailwinds).

Finally: Mercado Libre’s +67% ad growth and why shifting tariffs and de minimis rules are complicating 2026 planning.

00:00-Deal rumor backdrop, tariffs uncertainty, what’s on the docket
01:13-Paramount earnings: DTC growth, Pluto monetization slump, ad declines
07:07-Sports and NFL renewal: why local reach still matters
08:06-Warner Bros. Discovery: streaming ads +20%, subs 131.6M, NBA loss fallout
13:08-Europe: Atresmedia & TF1 declines, streaming monetization and ad-load strategy
16:30-TelevisaUnivision: US down, Mexico steadier, political + World Cup tailwinds
19:17-Mercado Libre +67% ads, retail media momentum, tariffs and de minimis “whack-a-mole”
23:37-Next week’s earnings and podcast recommendations

Post-recording update: WBD’s board deemed Paramount Skydance’s sweetened offer “superior” to the $83B Netflix deal; Netflix will not match and has withdrawn.

Advertising Intelligence Framework: https://www.wppmedia.com/thought-leadership/research-business-intelligence/advertising-intelligence-framework-first-edition?utm_source=media_intelligence&utm_medium=podcast

Ad revenue is still holding up in key quarters—even as some US economic signals flash stress and platform reporting gets a bit murkier. Kate Scott-Dawkins joins Jeff Foster and Nidhi Shah to break down fresh earnings signals (Roku, Walmart/eBay, Pinterest, travel platforms, Reddit), then brings in WPP Media search experts Katelyn Taylor and Teddie Cowell for a fast-moving conversation on how “search” is expanding beyond the box into AI discovery, answer engines, and agentic commerce.

Topics include: Roku platform growth and OS advantage, retail media’s continued surge (Walmart’s $6.4B ads and eBay near $2B), AI shopping assistants and order value lift, Pinterest monetization and international user mix, travel advertising divergence (Booking/Expedia vs Tripadvisor) under AI-driven traffic shifts, Reddit’s ad growth and changes to user reporting, why AI search isn’t a zero-sum threat to traditional search, “total search” (paid + organic + social + commerce), EEAT/source-worthiness and third-party signals (PR/UGC/reviews), the human vs machine content tension during the agentic transition, and the five pillars of the Advertising Intelligence Framework (inputs, processing, distribution, monetization, content/media).

00:00 — Opening: ad signals, “search is everywhere,” what it means for advertisers
00:25 — Agenda: earnings highlights + Advertising Intelligence Framework
01:00 — Roku earnings + TV OS advantage
02:39 — Retail media: eBay/Walmart ad growth + AI/agentic commerce
04:29 — Pinterest earnings: growth, user mix, monetization trends
05:39 — Travel platforms: Booking/Expedia vs TripAdvisor; AI’s impact on traffic
07:54 — Reddit earnings + AI citations; debate on logged-in metrics
12:00 — Deep dive: the future of search (paid + organic + new AI entrants)
18:52 — Myths/realities: AI search vs traditional search; Google’s role
20:47 — Becoming “source-worthy”: EEAT, PR/UGC, content for humans vs AI parsing
29:45 — Advertising Intelligence Framework: 5 pillars, companies scored, why it matters
38:49 — Wrap: what they’re watching + outro/contact info

Advertising Intelligence Framework: https://www.wppmedia.com/thought-leadership/research-business-intelligence/advertising-intelligence-framework-first-edition?utm_source=media_intelligence&utm_medium=podcast

The Super Bowl isn’t just football—it’s the biggest advertising marketplace in American TV. Kate Scott-Dawkins (live from Levi’s Stadium) joins Jeff Foster and Nidhi Shah to break down Super Bowl commercials, the cost of Super Bowl ads, and why brands still pay for the last truly mass, shared TV moment.

They also unpack a major earnings week—Amazon, Alphabet (Google/YouTube), Uber, Disney, and Fox—and the theme cutting across everything: AI investment and rising capex, plus what it means for retail media, streaming ads, and sports rights economics.

Topics include: Super Bowl ad “hacks” (prediction markets and skywriting), the “AI Super Bowl” creative playbook, Amazon advertising and Prime Video, Google search growth and retail ad spend, Uber’s $2B ads run-rate and AV data partnerships, Disney’s shifting profit mix, Fox/Tubi growth, and why sports rights keep squeezing margins.

0:00 – Intro: inside Levi’s Stadium vs the “advertising Super Bowl” at home
01:22 – Watching the game + what commercial breaks feel like in-stadium
02:34 – Prediction markets ad ban: Kalshi skywriting and “hacking” the Super Bowl
04:00 – San Francisco OOH: why every billboard says “AI”
04:39 – Super Bowl creative takeaways: Gemini, Alexa, celebrities
05:53 – Halftime show moments and cultural impact
07:05 – Early ratings chatter + why this reach is hard to replicate
08:17 – The reach math: what it would cost to match Super Bowl scale elsewhere
09:23 – Retail/commerce media: Walmart’s milestone and resilient growth
10:31 – Amazon results: ads, Prime Video, and audience scale
11:31 – AI capex surge: 2025 vs 2026 spending acceleration
12:07 – Alphabet/Google: $400B year, search growth, YouTube signals, CapEx jump
16:13 – Uber: $2B ads run-rate, AV strategy, Nvidia partnership, expansion
20:01 – Disney: earnings, streaming economics, and CEO succession signals
25:18 – Fox: sports rights pressure, Tubi growth, and ad category strength
29:44 – Europe: AI adoption in marketing/sales and budget implications
32:25 – Wrap-up + what to watch next (Snap note)

Meta’s ad engine keeps accelerating—even as legal and regulatory pressure builds. Kate Scott-Dawkins is joined by Jeff Foster and Nidhi Shah to break down a packed earnings week and the theme they see everywhere right now: concentration and consolidation—of ad spend, audience attention, and especially AI investment.

They unpack Meta’s surprisingly strong growth and a striking geographic disclosure (why Singapore suddenly shows up as a top billing market), Microsoft’s mixed ad signals across Search and LinkedIn (including rapid growth in paid video ads), and what Comcast/NBCU’s results say about the economics of streaming—where sports can lift subscribers and advertisers, but also widen losses. Plus: what luxury earnings reveal about an uneven recovery (China stabilizing, other markets shifting) and why jewelry looks more resilient than other categories.

We explore:

• Meta earnings: strong growth, the “billing address vs. user geography” disconnect, and why Singapore stood out.
• AI capex arms race: Meta’s major 2026 investment plans vs. Microsoft’s narrative challenge linking AI to ad growth.
• Microsoft ads + LinkedIn: Search/news resilience, marketing solutions, and the surge in paid video ads.
• Comcast/NBCU: mostly flat ad trends, tough comps, and the coming change as Versant assets roll out of reporting.
• Peacock: subscriber lift, NBA-driven advertiser gains, and what bigger sports bets mean for profitability.
• Luxury: uneven normalization, China’s importance, broader growth pockets, and LVMH’s lower ad/promo spend.

Chapters: 00:00 – Intro: Super Bowl, Olympics, and the week’s earnings theme
02:23 – Meta: growth stays strong
03:30 – Meta disclosure: why Singapore appears as a top billing market
06:22 – AI capex: Meta’s 2026 ramp and monetization paths (ads + subs)
07:17 – Market reaction: why Meta and Microsoft were read differently
10:30 – Meta headwinds: lawsuits and platform pressure vs. advertiser momentum
12:08 – Comcast/NBCU: Q4 ads, tough comps, and scale questions
14:01 – Peacock: subs, ad growth, NBA impact, and widening losses
15:58 – Microsoft: Search/news ads, LinkedIn momentum, and video growth
19:20 – Advertiser takeaways: efficiency, AI, and consolidation
21:17 – Luxury: uneven recovery, jewelry strength, and ad spend trends
24:13 – Tech preview: Apple/Samsung notes and what to watch next
26:45 – Closing

Netflix says ads are booming—but are viewers actually watching more? Kate Scott-Dawkins and Jeff Foster dig into Netflix’s latest earnings: ~$3B in projected ad revenue for 2026, 325M paid memberships, and a surprisingly modest lift in hours watched. We unpack what that gap could mean for advertisers, why big IP (including Warner Bros. Discovery/WBD) suddenly looks even more valuable, and where Netflix may go next on content and sports.

Plus: what P&G’s results suggest about a more disciplined year for CPG ad spend, the latest on TikTok’s new U.S. ownership structure (and the still-open questions around the algorithm), and OpenAI/ChatGPT testing ads—with an early focus on transparency and user control.

We explore:
Netflix’s 2026 ad revenue guidance (~$3B) and what it takes to scale a young ad business.
Why 96B hours watched in 2H 2025 only grew ~2%—and the “attention per member” problem.
Content strategy and competition: ~$18B implied 2026 content spend, sports optionality, and the pull of major franchise libraries (WBD).
P&G earnings and why the company isn’t planning a big media ramp—what that signals for CPG budgets in 2026.
TikTok’s U.S. divestment outcome: who owns what, what likely stays the same for advertisers, and how pressure is rising on social platforms globally.
OpenAI begins testing ads: early guardrails, what “AI-native” advertising could look like, and why this launch matters.

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: Netflix, P&G, TikTok U.S. deal, OpenAI ads
00:42 – Netflix: ad revenue forecast to double to ~$3B in 2026
01:51 – Netflix: 325M paid memberships (first update in a year)
02:20 – Engagement: 96B hours watched in 2H 2025 and what it implies
04:29 – Content + sports: 2026 spend plans and rights questions
07:30 – The hardware challenge: Netflix vs OS-controlled platforms
08:38 – P&G: growth, pricing, category performance, and ad spend tone
12:32 – TikTok: new U.S. ownership structure and open algorithm questions
16:12 – Social pressure: under-16 bans, lawsuits, and brand risk
20:29 – OpenAI/ChatGPT: testing ads, transparency, and what’s next
25:27 – Weekend recommendations: AI reads/listens
28:41 – Next week preview: key earnings to watch
29:00 – Closing + contact

Is your next big purchase going to be made by AI? In this “super pod” crossover between WPP Media Intelligence and Madison & Wall, Kate Scott-Dawkins, Brian Wieser, Luke Stillman, Jeff Foster, and Nidhi Shah unpack the week’s biggest shifts in media and marketing.

We explore:

• Google & OpenAI’s new agentic commerce protocols — and what AI shopping means for brands.
• Why US banks grew ad spend 12.5% in 2025 despite economic uncertainty.
• TikTok’s World Cup deal and what it signals for sports media rights.
• The evolving creator economy and where the dollars are really coming from.
• Insights into app advertising & mobile gaming following LiftOff’s IPO filing.

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: AI shopping & what’s ahead in media and marketing
01:20 – Agentic commerce: Google vs OpenAI protocols & retail media impact
08:36 – US economy: Bank earnings and why ad spend is still rising
17:28 – Sports media rights: TikTok’s global World Cup video partner deal
20:40 – Creator economy: Where the money comes from and industry effects
25:53 – App advertising & gaming: LiftOff IPO, AppLovin, mobile ad quality
31:52 – Market outlook: Risks, opportunities, and sector growth potential
32:13 – Next week preview: Key earnings, inflation data, and major events
34:56 – Closing thoughts & outro

WPP Media Global Advertising Forecast, Dec 2025: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/report-this-year-next-year-december-2025

Cross-over episode disclaimer: The views of Madison & Wall do not represent the opinions of WPP or WPP Media

Smart glasses everywhere, robots in your living room, and 73.9% of global ad spend concentrated in just 25 companies.

Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster, and Nidhi Shah break down what really matters for advertisers from CES: the explosion of robotics and smart home ecosystems, a wave of smart glasses and next-gen TVs, and what this growing “surface area” for media means for targeting, measurement, and creative. They also unpack WPP Media’s latest Top 25 Global Media Owners update, where those players are now expected to account for 73.9% of total ad industry revenue — and how consolidation, regulation, and AI could reshape that landscape.

We also look ahead to 2026: the impact of a packed sports calendar and US midterm elections on ad pricing and inventory, rising youth-focused social regulation (inspired by Australia and Europe), and new AI-driven business models on both the content and media owner side.

Listen for:

• What CES 2026’s robots, smart homes, and smart glasses really signal for brands
• How the Top 25 media owners reaching 73.9% share changes planning and partnership strategy
• Where new ad opportunities may emerge in ecosystems like autos, connected homes, and creator platforms
• Key risks and catalysts for 2026: regulation, labor negotiations, mega-deals, and sports/election cycles

00:00-CES recap: robots, smart homes and health tech
03:29-Macro backdrop: jobs, inflation and retail context
05:39-Next-gen TVs and hardware ecosystems
09:23-Autos, energy tech and AI infrastructure
13:10-Creators, fandom and sports at CES
14:50-Top 25 global media owners and consolidation
18:22-Smart glasses boom and new ad surfaces
20:49-2026 outlook: deals, sports, elections and AI
26:16-Advertising Intelligence framework and earnings preview

Host Kate Scott-Dawkins is joined by Jeff Foster and Nidhi Shah to break down WPP’s newly released global advertising forecast across 60+ markets and every major media channel.

Discover why 2025 global ad revenue is now projected to grow 8.8% to $1.14 trillion, how AI is driving a shift toward “intelligence” advertising, and what the milestone of commerce surpassing TV ad spend means for brands worldwide.

We explore:

• The rise of proactive, AI-powered advertising and the $400B expanded search opportunity by 2026.
• Category shifts, including retail media’s slowing growth amid consolidation, and the emergence of financial services, travel, and gaming networks.
• Regional trends in North America, LATAM, EMEA, China, and India.
• Sector-specific insights for automotive, technology, and media entertainment.
• Key challenges — from concentrated consumer spending, to diminishing retail media returns, to the threat of “agentic shopping.”

Whether you’re a marketer, media buyer, or brand strategist, this episode delivers actionable intelligence to prepare for the evolving advertising landscape in 2025 and beyond.

See the forecast here: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/report-this-year-next-year-december-2025

Earnings season meets forecast crunch time | Kate Scott‑Dawkins, Jeff Foster, and Nidhi Shah break down the latest media and marketing shifts: European broadcasters in decline, OOH gains from travel rebound, Amazon’s surge in cloud and streaming ads, Tubi’s early AVOD profitability, and the mixed fortunes at Peacock, Paramount+, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney. From sports rights battles to identity‑based targeting and looming M&A moves, the team unpacks what’s driving TV and streaming ad revenues — and what brands and advertisers need to know now.

Listen for:
• Trends in linear TV vs. streaming ad revenue growth
• Why sports rights remain top-tier ad inventory
• AVOD’s profitability milestone and what’s next
• How consolidation could reshape the media buying landscape

00:00 – Introduction and forecast season overlaps
02:27 – European broadcaster earnings, consolidation moves, and OOH trends
09:35 – Amazon earnings: Cloud, advertising, Prime Video reach, and sports rights
15:03 – Fox earnings: Tubi’s growth, early profitability, and login strategy
18:52 – Comcast: Peacock’s subscriber trends, ad revenue, and M&A speculation
21:11 – Paramount/Skydance: Ad revenue decline, price hikes, and theatrical expansion
24:32 – Warner Bros. Discovery: Revenue and ad declines, streaming subs, strategic options
26:07 – Disney highlights and advertiser implications
27:30 – Forecast wrap‑up and upcoming focus areas

This week, Kate Scott-Dawkins, Nidhi Shah, and Jeff Foster discuss Netflix’s 17% growth and plans to expand its ad business, Spanish-language broadcasters facing declines, political ad trends, luxury sector resilience, and a flood of AI news — from OpenAI’s browser to Samsung’s AI TVs — plus Google’s cancer research breakthrough.

Chapters

00:00-Introduction
01:18-Netflix Q3 earnings and Brazilian tax impact
09:25-Legacy broadcasters and Spanish-language media declines
13:48-Political advertising trends and brand implications
17:42-Luxury sector resilience and market recovery
19:06-AI announcements from OpenAI, Samsung, and Google
28:23-Next week’s preview and closing remarks

Links:

• This Year Next Year MidYear Forecast 2025: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/tyny-midyear-2025

• How Google's Gemma model helped discover a new potential cancer therapy pathway: https://blog.google/technology/ai/google-gemma-ai-cancer-therapy-discovery/
• How Humans Decide research: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/how-humans-decide

This week on the WPP Media Intelligence Podcast, Kate Scott-Dawkins, Nidhi Shah, and Jeff Foster are diving into the big stories shaping media, marketing, and the economy right now.

The IMF has bumped up its global growth forecast, China’s trade numbers are surprising everyone, and luxury brands like LVMH are showing early signs of recovery. Banks are riding high on AI investments, IPO activity is picking up, and connected TV continues to gain traction with advertisers.

We also get into some fascinating moves in the AI and commerce space — Walmart teaming up with OpenAI for conversational shopping, Perplexity hitting pause on ads, and Netflix joining forces with Spotify to bring video podcasts to streaming audiences.

And with US midterms on the horizon, political ad spend is already looking like it could smash records. Whether you’re in media, marketing, finance, or tech, this episode is packed with insights on where growth is coming from, what’s changing fast, and how brands can stay ahead.

00:00-Introduction & Global Economic Outlook
02:59-China’s Trade Data and Luxury Sector Recovery
06:08-Bank Earnings, AI Investments, and Advertising Trends
11:41-Perplexity AI Pauses Ads & Future of AI Search
16:13-Walmart Partners with OpenAI for Conversational Commerce
23:17-Netflix and Spotify Video Podcast Partnership
27:13-Political Advertising Trends & Closing Remarks

How privacy rules, AI growth, and EV competition are reshaping advertising

In this episode of the Media Intelligence Podcast, the team unpacks the week’s biggest stories in media, marketing, and global business. From Europe’s push toward ad-free social media to AI’s economic boom and the worldwide EV race, they explore how regulation, consumer values, and technology are reshaping advertising strategies. Regional insights from WPP’s global forecast and the impact of major sports events round out a packed agenda.

Key Topics Discussed

• Europe’s “consent or pay” social media models and regulatory push on privacy, youth safety, and mental health.
• Global sentiment on banning social media for children under certain ages.
• Potential long-term advertising impacts if younger generations delay or avoid social media adoption.
• PepsiCo’s Q3 performance, cost optimization, and brand refresh toward healthier products.
• Dell’s AI-driven growth, PC sales trends, and the Windows 10 end-of-support upgrade cycle.
• China’s goal to produce one-third of the world’s cars by 2030 and its EV export strategy.
• Tesla’s pricing changes and the challenges of EV adoption in the U.S.
• Economic bifurcation affecting auto sales and marketing messaging.
• Digital addressable advertising now comprising ~80% of total ad spend.
• Regional insights from WPP’s “This Year, Next Year” forecast: EMEA, APAC, and LatAm trends.
• The advertising boost from the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Winter Olympics.
• Gen Z’s shifting values and what they mean for brands and hiring managers.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction & Europe’s Ad-Free Social Media Models
05:25 PepsiCo Earnings & Healthier Snacking Trends
09:50 Dell’s AI Growth & Hardware Market Insights
14:55 China’s Auto Ambitions & Global EV Competition
19:46 Economic Divide, Auto Marketing & Addressable Ads
22:25 Global Ad Forecast Insights: EMEA, APAC & LatAm
25:44 Sports Events Driving Future Ad Spend
27:13 Closing Thoughts & What’s Next

On this week’s Media Intelligence Podcast, Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster, and Nidhi Shah from WPP Media’s Business Intelligence team discuss some of the week’s biggest media and marketing stories. Topics include TikTok’s $14B valuation and what it means for the platform’s future, the latest UK inflation data, rising streaming subscription prices, Netflix’s new partnership with AB InBev, and OpenAI’s plans to introduce advertising. The team looks at how these developments could affect brands and advertisers as we head into Q4.

Key Topics

• TikTok’s $14B valuation and U.S. ban update
• UK inflation trends and global economic signals
• Netflix teams up with AB InBev for native advertising
• Streaming service price hikes compared to cable costs
• Comcast spinout Versant’s revenue decline
• Affiliate TV station consolidation in the U.S. and Europe
• OpenAI’s push toward ad monetization with Pulse

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction & TikTok valuation update
02:21 – UK and global economic outlook
11:55 – Netflix and AB InBev partnership
15:27 – Streaming price hikes vs cable costs
20:01 – Comcast spinout Versant revenue trends
23:23 – Affiliate TV station ownership and consolidation
28:14 – OpenAI moves toward advertising

Links:

WPP Media's Mid-Year Global Advertising Forecast Update: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/tyny-midyear-2025

Kate Scott-Dawkins and Jeff Foster break down the Fed’s first rate cut in a year, new US income data, and what a “two-speed” economy means for brands. They cover TikTok’s uncertain US future, the rumored Warner Bros. Discovery–Paramount mega-merger, billion-dollar sports rights, fresh AI usage insights from Anthropic and OpenAI, and the IPOs that could reshape ad spend transparency.

Key Topics Discussed

• The Fed’s Big Move – A quarter-point rate cut is here. What does it mean for the economy, the ad market, and the rest of 2025?
• Two-Speed Economy – Fresh Census data shows income gains for some groups, declines for others, and a widening gender pay gap. How are brands balancing premium products with value options?
• TikTok’s US Cliffhanger – Another deadline extension, a possible deal with US investors, and the big question: who controls the algorithm?
• A Media Mega-Merger? – If Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount join forces, they could dominate US TV ad sales, shake up sports rights, and rival Netflix in streaming scale.
• Sports & Ad Dollars – From the Super Bowl’s billion-dollar day to tech giants eyeing broadcast rights, what’s next for advertisers and networks?
• AI in the Real World – New data from Anthropic and OpenAI reveals how people are actually using AI — from coding to meal planning — and what it means for marketers.
• IPO Watchlist – Recent debuts like Klarna and Figma, plus private giants like ByteDance, OpenAI, and Shein that could reshape ad spend transparency.
• Looking Ahead – Industry events in Japan, upcoming inflation and consumer sentiment reports, and what to watch in Q4.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction & Fed Rate Cut Overview03:33 - US Income Data & Two-Speed Economy07:30 - TikTok’s Uncertain US Future11:00 - Warner Bros. Discovery–Paramount Merger Analysis19:53 - Sports Rights, Super Bowl Economics & Media Competition21:12 - AI Adoption Trends from Anthropic & OpenAI28:39 - IPO Trends & Advertising Spend Visibility32:44 - Upcoming Events & Closing Remarks

Links:

• This Year Next Year MidYear Forecast 2025: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/tyny-midyear-2025

• Anthropic (Claude) Economic Index interactive report: https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index

• OpenAI (ChatGPT) "How People Use ChatGPT": https://cdn.openai.com/pdf/a253471f-8260-40c6-a2cc-aa93fe9f142e/economic-research-chatgpt-usage-paper.pdf

Pharma ad crackdown, Murdoch succession, NFL streaming surge, EV ad spend, plus economy, 2030 ad trends, and Apple’s latest showcase.

Kate Scott-Dawkins and Jeff Foster unpack a busy week in advertising and media: the Trump administration’s potential crackdown on pharma ads, the Murdoch family’s succession deal, NFL’s streaming surge from Brazil, and aggressive EV ad spending from Lucid, VinFast, and Chinese OEMs. Plus, a U.S. economy update, highlights from WPP’s 2030 Advertising Futures report, and takeaways from Apple’s latest showcase.

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & sports recap
01:08 - U.S. economy: Inflation, jobs revisions, Fed outlook
03:25 - Pharma ad crackdown & market impact
06:00 - Murdoch succession & media strategy
10:07 - NFL on YouTube TV: Brazil game success
11:00 - Auto ad trends & EV newcomers
13:13 - Advertising in 2030: WPP’s extended-cut report
17:15 - Apple tech showcase: Incremental updates
19:10 - Wrap-up & next week’s preview

Advertising in 2030 report: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/Latest-Advertising-in-2030?utm_source=MediaIntelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=ep75

In this week’s WPP Media Intelligence Podcast, Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster, and Nidhi Shah break down the biggest media and advertising stories shaping the global market. From last-minute US carriage deals to the NFL’s free-to-air push in the UK, and a major European media merger, we explore what these moves mean for advertisers. Plus, we look at newspaper ad revenue trends, China’s growing media players, and how AI investment is fueling economic growth.

Key takeaways:

• How Fox and YouTube TV avoided a blackout before football season
• Why Disney is suing Sling TV over $5/day streaming passes
• NFL’s new free-to-air deal in the UK and its impact on sports rights
• The MFE + ProSiebenSat.1 merger and European media consolidation
• Newspaper ad revenue trends in the US and UK
• Xiaomi and ByteDance’s role in the global ad market
• How AI investment is driving ad spend growth into 2026

Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction & Episode Preview
01:25 – Fox & YouTube TV Carriage Dispute and Skinny Sports Bundles
05:44 – Disney Sues Sling TV Over Short-Term Streaming Passes
08:18 – NFL Goes Free-to-Air in the UK & Sports Rights Landscape
11:22 – European Media Consolidation: MFE and ProSiebenSat.1 Deal
14:45 – Newspaper Ad Revenue Trends in US and UK
17:27 – China-Based Players: Xiaomi, ByteDance & AI Investments
20:17 – Closing Thoughts & Upcoming Sports Events

This Year Next Year Midyear Forecast 2025: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/tyny-midyear-2025

Kate Scott-Dawkins is joined by Jeff Foster and Nidhi Shah to break down the latest trends in the economy, media, and advertising. They chat about what lower-than-expected US inflation means for consumers, how Chinese retailers are staying strong despite economic challenges, and some exciting moves in sports streaming and local TV. Plus, they dive into the rapid rise of AppLovin and what it means for advertisers.

00:00 - Introduction
Welcome and overview of inflation, AppLovin, and sports streaming topics.

01:37 - Inflation and Retail Trends
Mixed inflation signals, tariffs, and how advertisers are responding.

08:36 - Global Economic Updates
UK, EU, and China’s growth trends, plus retail spending shifts.

15:49 - Tencent and Mini-Programs
Tencent’s ad growth and the rise of short-form content in China.

20:10 - Sling TV’s $5 Sports Pass
Sling TV’s innovative pricing and its potential impact on streaming.

26:22 - Local TV Consolidation
Nextar and Tegna talks, and what it means for advertisers.

31:14 - AppLovin’s Growth
AppLovin’s 77% growth and its rise as a major advertising player.

34:26 - Wrap-Up and Future Trends
Final thoughts on media shakeups and what’s ahead for advertisers.

Mid-Year Global Advertising Forecast Update: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/tyny-midyear-2025?utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=episode_73_description

EDITOR NOTE: In the episode, we mention that AppLovin’s ad revenue grew 77% in Q2 to $1.3 billion. To clarify, the 77% growth refers to year-over-year performance, not quarter-over-quarter.

This week, Kate Scott-Dawkins is joined by Jeff Foster, Nidhi Shah, and special guest Aisha Khan to break down the latest Q2 earnings reports from major media and commerce players.

They talk about Disney’s NFL-ESPN deal, Fox’s Tubi success, Warner Bros. Discovery’s struggles, and the booming growth of retail media.

Plus, they explore how tariffs are affecting businesses, AI’s growing role in advertising, and the blending of streaming and commerce.

00:00 - Introduction
01:38 - Disney’s NFL-ESPN Deal and Speculation on ESPN’s Future
04:36 - Fox’s Tubi Growth and Political Ad Revenue Highlights
07:27 - Warner Bros. Discovery’s Struggles with Streaming and Linear Declines
10:27 - Retail Media’s Explosive Growth: Mercado Libre, Shopify, and More
14:06 - Tariffs and Their Impact on Retailers and Consumers
16:14 - AI’s Role in Advertising and Commerce Trends
19:22 - Shopify’s Expansion and Success with Larger Clients
21:41 - Snap’s Underperformance and Digital Advertising Trends
22:12 - Closing Thoughts and Preview of Next Week’s Topics

Mid-Year Global Advertising Forecast Update: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/tyny-midyear-2025?utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=episode_72_description

Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster, and Nidhi Shah break down a whirlwind of economic news. They explore how tariffs and globalization are shaking up industries, dive into mixed earnings from media giants, and celebrate Reddit’s big ad revenue boost.

The hosts also discuss AI’s growing role in advertising, challenges for traditional TV networks, and kids’ changing viewing habits from Ofcom’s latest report. Plus, hear how L'Oréal is using AI to innovate in beauty tech and what slowing consumer spending means for luxury brands.

00:00 - Economic Whirlwind: Analyzing Recent Trends
06:21 - Media Owners Earnings: Insights and Growth
13:41 - AI's Impact on Advertising: The Future of Marketing
17:06 - Reddit and Meta: Diverging Paths in Digital Advertising
23:49 - AI's Impact on Advertising Strategies
25:58 - Challenges for Legacy Media in the AI Era
27:17 - Earnings Insights from Major Broadcasters
28:36 - The Role of Sports in Advertising Revenue
31:56 - Paramount's Earnings and Industry Changes
35:35 - Ofcom Report: Trends in UK Video Consumption
38:42 - L'Oréal's Growth and AI Innovations

Mid-Year Global Advertising Forecast Update: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/tyny-midyear-2025?utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=episode_71_description

Kate, Jeff, and Nidhi chat about the latest earnings from big names like Google, ITV, and Televisa Univision. They dive into how AI is driving ad growth, why digital formats are taking over, and how consumer spending is holding up despite tariffs and other challenges.

They also explore what’s happening in the auto world with EVs, how brands like Coca-Cola and LVMH are staying strong, and why ESPN’s NFL deal could shake things up. Plus, hear how legacy media is juggling linear TV and streaming.

00:00-Introduction
01:25-Google Earnings and AI Investments
07:40-European Media Owners: Challenges and Digital Shifts
12:05-Televisa Univision and Sports Media Updates
18:11-Automotive Industry: GM, EVs, and Tariff Impacts
26:29-Luxury and CPG Trends: LVMH, Nestle, and Coca-Cola
32:08-Looking Ahead: Upcoming Earnings and Economic Signals

Mid-Year Global Advertising Forecast Update: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/tyny-midyear-2025

Kate and Jeff dive into the week’s biggest stories in media, marketing, and consumer trends. They explore Netflix’s ambitious $2 billion ad revenue goal, Albertsons’ impressive e-commerce growth, and PepsiCo’s focus on protein-packed strategies. The duo also unpacks key economic updates, including inflation and retail sales data, and reflects on the decline of late-night TV. Packed with insights, this episode offers a fresh look at how brands are adapting to today’s shifting landscape.

00:00 - Introduction
01:00 - Inflation, Retail Sales, and Economic Trends
07:15 - Albertsons’ E-Commerce Growth and Media Strategy
12:42 - PepsiCo’s Protein Push and Marketing Shifts
15:24 - Netflix’s $2B Ad Goal and Streaming Success
23:43 - Late-Night TV Decline and Industry Trends

Links: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/business/tariffs-recession-economists.html

Hosts Kate and Jeff dive into everything from the U.S. economy to big changes in media and entertainment. They chat about the future of search, how AI is shaking up copyright and content creation, and even affordable robots for learning. It’s all about how tech is reshaping industries and what it means for the future.

00:00 - Introduction

01:34 - US Economic Data - Unemployment trends, AI’s role in jobs, and economic data insights.

05:38 - Consumer Spending - Credit card debt, tariffs, and shifting consumer habits.

07:50 - New Business Trends - Growth in business applications and manufacturing orders.

10:14 - A&E Sale - What A&E’s potential sale means for the cable industry.

12:23 - Disney-ITV Partnership - A unique content-sharing deal between Disney and ITV.

16:16 - F1 Media Rights - Apple’s bid for F1 rights and changes in sports media.

18:28 - AI Browsers and Cloudflare - AI-powered browsers and Cloudflare’s move to block crawlers.

21:35 - AI Copyright Cases - Court rulings on AI copyright and their impact on creators.

24:47 - Robots in Education - Hugging Face’s Ricci Mini robot and its potential in coding education.

27:58 - What’s Next - Upcoming earnings reports, CPI data, and next week’s highlights.

Links

• Cloudflare blog: https://www.cloudflare.com/press-releases/2025/cloudflare-just-changed-how-ai-crawlers-scrape-the-internet-at-large/ 
• Huggingface robot: https://huggingface.co/blog/reachy-mini 

Join Kate, Jeff, and Nidhi as they unpack advertising's evolution in the AI era. The team examines recent ad tech developments and how TV advertising is shifting with new technologies and viewer behaviors.

They discuss content creators' growing influence in advertising and share insights on economic trends affecting consumers. The conversation explores Warner Brothers Discovery's split and its implications for the media landscape.

They also analyze European broadcasting partnerships and the rising valuations of sports content in today's competitive marketplace.

00:00 Introduction & Weather Chat

01:52 AI Revolution in Advertising

05:10 Breaking Down Ad Tech Announcements

08:39 TV Advertising's Transformation

12:10 The Influencer Effect

13:09 Economic Trends & Consumer Pulse

14:40 WBD Split: Media's Big Shakeup

17:16 Media M&A Landscape

20:06 European Broadcasting Alliances

23:24 Sports Content: The New Gold Rush

26:48 Looking Ahead: Industry Forecast

Kate Scott-Dawkins from WPP Media sits down with Brian Berner, Global Head of Ad Sales at Spotify, during Cannes Lions 2025. They discuss the evolution of advertising, Spotify's innovative strategies, and how AI is shaping both consumer experiences and ad creation. The conversation provides insights into global advertising trends, Spotify’s growth in emerging markets, and the future of technology in marketing.

00:00 - Welcome to Cannes: Setting the Stage for Innovation
03:15 - From Campus Ads to Spotify: Brian Berner’s Ad Journey
08:45 - Advertising in Flux: Trends Reshaping the Industry
14:30 - AI at Spotify: Revolutionizing Personalization and Ads
20:10 - Cracking Emerging Markets: India, Brazil, and Beyond
25:50 - The Next Frontier: Voice, Wearables, and Consumer Attention
31:20 - Wrapping Up: Spotify’s Vision for the Future of Advertising

Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster, and Nidhi Shah from the WPP Media Intelligence team discuss key highlights from their newly released advertising forecast report, This Year, Next Year, MidYear Forecast. The podcast covers global advertising trends, including market projections, shifts in media consumption, and the transformative impact of AI on the industry.

Check out an interactive overview of the report here: http://www.wppmedia.com/news/tyny-midyear-2025?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=tyny

Takeaways:

• Global advertising revenue is forecasted to reach $1.08 trillion by 2025.
• Retail media is expected to surpass total TV revenue by 2025.
• The advertising market shows resilience despite economic uncertainties.
• Search advertising continues to grow globally at 7.4%.
• Content-driven advertising is now the largest segment of media.
• User-generated content has surpassed professionally produced content in ad revenue.
• AI is transforming the advertising landscape significantly.
• Marketers need to consider how to engage with bots in the future.
• Trust and transparency are crucial in AI-driven advertising.
• The advertising industry is rapidly evolving with new technologies.

00:00 - Introduction and Rebranding
01:01 - Global Advertising Forecast for 2025
02:16 - U.S. Market Insights: Retail Media vs. TV
04:38 - UK Trends and Digital Growth
06:29 - Introducing the New Media Taxonomy
10:49 - Industry Feedback on the New Framework
13:08 - User-Generated Content Surpasses Professional Content
14:17 - The Creator Economy and Revenue Streams
16:07 - AI’s Transformative Impact on Advertising
19:48 - Marketing to Bots and the Future of Web Traffic
23:20 - Ethical Considerations for AI in Advertising
24:46 - Closing Thoughts and Upcoming Episodes

In this episode, Kate Scott-Dawkins is joined by Jeff Foster and Nidhi Shah to discuss the team’s work on the upcoming This Year, Next Year advertising forecast report, set to release publicly on June 10th. The trio dives into key developments in media, technology, and advertising, including major announcements from Google I/O, Xiaomi's rise as a media owner, and the evolving role of AI in content creation and ad strategies.

They also reflect on industry trends like programmatic buying in legacy media and the growing importance of live sports for streaming platforms.
00:00 - Introduction and Team Updates
01:52 - Paramount’s Rugby Deal and the Value of Live Sports
03:44 - Xiaomi’s Growth, Smart EVs, and Advertising Strategy
07:36 - Google I/O Announcements and AI Innovations
12:58 - AI’s Impact on Advertising and Market Shifts
17:08 - Legacy Media Trends and Programmatic Buying
21:20 - What’s Next? Wrapping Up and Personal Highlights

In this episode, Kate Scott-Dawkins and Jeff Foster discuss the busy earnings season, highlighting key economic trends, advertising growth, and the impact of AI on major companies like Meta, Amazon, and Google. They explore the challenges faced by Snap and Spotify, Comcast's revenue struggles, and the future of subscription models in consumer behavior. The conversation also touches on global market trends and regulatory impacts, concluding with insights into cultural moments that shape media consumption.

Takeaways

• The earnings season has been particularly busy with significant economic news.
• US hiring trends remain positive despite economic uncertainties.
• Meta is focusing on AI to enhance its advertising business.
• Snap's advertising growth is mixed, with stagnant user growth in key markets.
• Amazon continues to lead in advertising growth alongside Meta.
• Google's advertising performance shows signs of recovery, particularly in search.
• Microsoft's growth is driven by advertising within its personal computing segment.
• Apple's services revenue is steadily increasing, but hardware sales face challenges.
• Subscription models are expected to play a larger role in consumer purchases by 2030.
• Cultural moments, especially sports, continue to drive media consumption globally.

00:00 - Introduction & Overview
02:55 - Economic Trends & Consumer Sentiment
05:49 - Earnings Reports: Meta & Amazon
09:14 - Advertising Insights: Snap & Spotify
12:07 - Digital Ad Landscape: Google & Microsoft
14:56 - Future of Media: Subscription Models & Predictions
17:59 - Comcast & Peacock: Performance Analysis
21:07 - Market Trends: Global Insights & Regulations
23:52 - Wrap-Up & Cultural Reflections

In this episode, Kate Scott-Dawkins and Jeff Foster break down Netflix's latest earnings report. They highlight the impressive 13% revenue growth and discuss Netflix's bold ambition to hit a $1 trillion market cap.

They also look at how advertising revenue, a strong market, and smart content investments can help the company grow.

Kate and Jeff discuss the potential of AI to reduce production costs. They take a closer look at the ongoing antitrust trials involving Meta and Google and what these cases could mean for the media world in the future.

00:00 – Introduction & Podcast Preview
• Kate and Jeff welcome listeners and outline the topics for the week.

00:40 – Netflix Earnings Overview
• Discussion of Netflix’s 13% revenue growth, the missing subscriber count, and overall earnings call highlights.

02:00 – Ad Revenue Goals & Forecasting
• They cover the leaked goal of reaching a $1 trillion valuation and $9 billion in ad revenue by 2030, plus initial strategy insights.

03:30 – Live Events & Video Podcasts
• Conversation about Netflix’s strategy around live events (NFL games, Oscars, etc.) and the evolution of video podcasts.

06:00 – Market Trends & Margins
• Analysis of Q1 dynamics, pricing adjustments, margin strength, and resilient consumer behavior in home entertainment.

09:42 – Ad Revenue Modeling Details
• A detailed walkthrough of the modeling assumptions—from a small ad revenue base in 2024 to the ambitious 2030 target.

17:12 – AI & Content Innovation
• Discussion on how AI is reshaping film production (e.g., de-aging effects) and its potential cost-saving impacts.

19:21 – Tech Trials & Antitrust Updates
• Coverage of antitrust trials affecting Meta (Instagram/WhatsApp) and Google’s ad tech practices, plus implications for future strategy.

25:20 – Weekend Recommendations & Wrap-Up

In this episode, Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster, and Nidhi Shah explore the escalating US-China tariff situation, its impact on industries like automotive and technology, and how businesses are navigating uncertainty. They also discuss the resilience of the financial services sector, shifts in consumer behavior, and the broader implications for globalization and advertising trends.

Disclaimer: Since recording this episode, a 90-day pause on tariffs has been announced, along with adjustments to tariffs on China. While these developments may temporarily ease tensions, the topics discussed—such as long-term impacts on industries, consumer behavior, and globalization—remain highly relevant.

Key Topics Discussed:

• US-China Tariffs: Impacts on key industries like autos, apparel, and tech.
• Globalization Under Strain: Challenges to specialization and self-sufficiency.
• Financial Services Resilience: Growth despite inflation and economic uncertainty.
• Advertising Trends: Small business challenges and the rise of "Made in America" messaging.
• Sports Advertising: Super Bowl, World Cup, and Olympics sustaining demand.

Chapters:

00:00 - Disclaimer

00:16 - Episode Overview and Tariff Discussion

02:18 - US-China Tariffs: Impacts and Retaliation

05:45 - Industry-Specific Challenges: Autos, Tech, and Apparel

09:51 - Globalization Under Strain and Manufacturing Shifts

12:00 - Small vs. Large Business Responses to Tariffs

15:25 - Impact on Sports and Live Event Advertising

19:30 - Financial Services Sector Resilience and Outlook

WPP has acquired InfoSum, the world’s leading data collaboration platform, in a major step forward for its AI-driven data capabilities. InfoSum will join GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, to create a new generation of privacy-first, AI-enhanced marketing solutions powered by the industry’s most secure and scalable data infrastructure.

This acquisition allows WPP clients to unlock the full potential of their first-party data while connecting securely with data providers and media partners. By integrating InfoSum’s patented cross-cloud technology into WPP Open, clients can build, train, and deploy custom AI models faster than ever—delivering smarter insights, better audience targeting, and measurable campaign improvements across the entire marketing ecosystem.

With access to InfoSum’s extensive global data network—including signals from leading media platforms, retailers, and identity partners—WPP is redefining marketing intelligence and helping clients move beyond outdated identity-based solutions.

This is “Intelligence Beyond Identity,” where privacy, performance, and innovation come together to shape the future of marketing.

Learn more about this exciting partnership and what it means for WPP, GroupM, and their clients with Brian Lesser, Evan Hanlon, and Lauren Wetzel.

⁠https://www.groupm.com/newsroom/wpp-acquires-infosum-in-major-investment-in-its-ai-driven-data-offer/⁠

In this episode hosts Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster, and Nidhi Shah are joined by special guest Aisha Khan, Head of Client Engagement for GroupM Global Commerce. Their discussion covers advertising trends among the top media sellers, retail media innovation, economic impacts on advertising, and YouTube’s growing dominance in TV viewing.

Note: As a group, the top 25 accounted for 72% of total advertising in 2024, up from 68% in 2023. If we exclude China (and the China-based ad sellers) concentration went up from 63% to 66%.

00:00-Introduction
01:13-Top 25 Media Sellers: Winners and Trends
08:44-Retail Media Deep Dive with Aisha Khan
19:10-YouTube’s TV Takeover and Nielsen Data
24:33-UK Economy, Advertising Insights, and European Media Consumption
30:14-Weekend Plans and Pop Culture Wrap-Up

Some links:

• GroupM's This Year Next Year 2024 End of Year Report: https://www.groupm.com/this-year-next-year-2024-global-end-of-year-forecast/

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to hit the follow button, and rate us on your favorite podcast platform. And we’d love to hear from you—drop a comment or share your thoughts with us on LinkedIn.

In this week's episode of This Week, Next Week, Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster, and Nidhi Shah dive into the latest developments shaping media, entertainment, commerce, and economics.

From the impact of potential U.S. tariffs on European alcohol imports to the evolving creator economy, we break down how these shifts are influencing advertisers and consumers alike.

00:00 - Introduction & Topics Overview

01:10 - Alcohol Tariffs: Europe vs US Trade Tensions

04:30 - Impact of Tariffs on Alcohol Advertising Budgets

08:15 - Spotify's Loud and Clear Report: Artist Royalties

11:45 - Music Streaming Trends: Growth and Challenges

14:20 - The Creator Economy: MrBeast and Media Upfronts

17:05 - Defining the Creator Economy

20:40 - Recommendations: Playground Book, Big Technology Podcast

23:10 - Roblox, AI, and Gaming Innovation

Some links:

• GroupM's This Year Next Year 2024 End of Year Report: https://www.groupm.com/this-year-next-year-2024-global-end-of-year-forecast/

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to hit the follow button, and rate us on your favorite podcast platform. And we’d love to hear from you—drop a comment or share your thoughts with us on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Kate, Jeff, and Nidhi dive into the latest developments shaping economics, media, technology, and entertainment in 2025.

From tariffs impacting trade to the evolution of streaming platforms and AI innovation, we explore how industries are navigating uncertainty and embracing change. Highlights include insights from the US Federal Reserve Beige Book, Oscars viewership trends, YouTube’s app redesign, and updates from the Morgan Stanley TMT Conference.

Segments

(00:00) Introduction
(00:28) Global Economics Overview
(01:32) Beige Book Insights
(02:45) US Consumer Spending Trends
(03:30) Tariffs and Price Increases
(05:02) F1 Viewership Insights
(07:13) European Media Owners Report
(08:55) Linear TV Trends in Europe
(09:56) Germany's Cable TV Shift
(11:00) Streaming vs. Linear TV
(14:52) Out-of-Home Advertising Growth
(15:32) Programmatic Advertising in OOH
(16:18) YouTube’s Redesign & Aggregation
(17:04) The Battle for the Living Room
(19:41) Morgan Stanley TMT Conference Highlights
(20:10) Fox’s DTC Strategy
(22:31) Netflix’s Ad Business Growth
(24:00) Disney’s Focus on Advertising
(24:34) Warner Bros. Content Strategy
(25:55) Weekend Plans & Closing Remarks

Some links:

• GroupM's This Year Next Year 2024 End of Year Report: https://www.groupm.com/this-year-next-year-2024-global-end-of-year-forecast/
• US Federal Reserve Beige Book: https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/files/BeigeBook_20250305.pdf

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to hit the follow button, and rate us on your favorite podcast platform. And we’d love to hear from you—drop a comment or share your thoughts with us on LinkedIn.

This week, Kate and Jeff tackle the latest in advertising and media, from the challenges of tracking sports sponsorships to the shifting dynamics of CPG spending. They discuss how top earners are driving nearly half of U.S. consumer spending, the growing importance of streaming ad revenue, and why content budgets are skyrocketing. Plus, what does Walmart’s dominance mean for big brands? Dive into the data and trends shaping the industry.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Sponsorship Challenges: Sports sponsorships are becoming more critical as traditional ad reach declines, but reliable data on sponsorship deals remains elusive.
2. CPG Spending Trends: Personal care brands are increasing ad spend faster than food and beverage companies, with a focus on premiumization and value-based strategies.
3. The 10% Economy: The top 10% of earners now drive nearly 50% of U.S. consumer spending, reshaping retail and advertising strategies.
4. Streaming Growth: Platforms like Paramount+ and Max report strong subscriber growth and narrowing losses, with streaming ad revenue rising significantly.
5. Content Budgets Soar: Media giants like Comcast and Disney lead in content spending, while Warner Bros. Discovery shifts focus to leveraging its IP catalog over acquiring costly sports rights.

Some links:

• GroupM's This Year Next Year 2024 End of Year Report: https://www.groupm.com/this-year-next-year-2024-global-end-of-year-forecast/

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to hit the follow button, and rate us on your favorite podcast platform. And we’d love to hear from you—drop a comment or share your thoughts with us on LinkedIn.

This week, Kate, Jeff, and Nidhi dive into the latest trends shaping media, advertising, and entertainment. From retail media’s rapid growth to the integration of AI in sports, and the ongoing battle for dominance in streaming content, the team covers it all. They also explore the critical role of storytelling in building brands and share their weekend viewing plans.

NEXT WEEK: Earning seasons continues with eBay, Home Depot, Danone, and more!

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to hit the follow button, and rate us on your favorite podcast platform. And we’d love to hear from you—drop a comment or share your thoughts with us on LinkedIn.

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Discover GroupM's latest ⁠⁠⁠This Year Next Year⁠⁠ ⁠ Forecast here:

https://www.groupm.com/this-year-next-year-2024-global-end-of-year-forecast/

This week, we dive into the highlights of Super Bowl LIX, which achieved a record-breaking 127.7 million viewers across various platforms, including FOX and Tubi. We analyze the implications of this viewership surge for advertisers and discuss how Tubi's simulcast set new streaming records with 15.5 million peak concurrent viewers.

We also explore the growing interest in sports beyond football, focusing on the Rugby Six Nations and its increasing viewership in the UK. Our discussion extends to the performance of European broadcasters, where mixed results reveal shifting dynamics in advertising revenue, particularly in the face of rising digital consumption.

On the economic front, we unpack the latest GDP growth figures from the UK and the U.S., highlighting how inflation continues to impact consumer behavior and retail sales.

Additionally, we cover Fox's strategic acquisition of Red Seat Ventures, aimed at enhancing its connection with audiences through right-leaning podcasts and live events. Google’s impressive turnaround in ad revenue is also examined, with YouTube emerging as a dominant player in TV consumption.

Key Takeaways:

• Record Super Bowl Viewership: Super Bowl LIX attracted 127.7 million viewers, marking a significant increase in audience engagement.

• Tubi's Streaming Success: The platform's simulcast reached 15.5 million peak concurrent viewers, setting new streaming records for the event.

• Rugby Six Nations Growth: Increasing viewership in the UK indicates a broader interest in sports beyond football.

• Mixed Results for European Broadcasters: Shifting dynamics in advertising revenue highlight the importance of digital consumption.
• Economic Insights: The UK shows modest GDP growth while inflation impacts consumer behavior and retail sales in the U.S.
• Fox's Strategic Acquisition: The purchase of Red Seat Ventures aims to connect with audiences through right-leaning podcasts and live events.
• Google's Ad Revenue Turnaround: YouTube reported record ad revenue, solidifying its position as a leader in TV consumption.

NEXT WEEK: Earning seasons continues with Etsy, Cinemark, Booking, Block and more!

Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to hit the follow button, and rate us on your favorite podcast platform. And we’d love to hear from you—drop a comment or share your thoughts with us on LinkedIn.

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Discover GroupM's latest⁠⁠This Year Next Year⁠⁠ Forecast here:

https://www.groupm.com/this-year-next-year-2024-global-end-of-year-forecast/

• If you are GroupM client or part of WPP, reach out to business.intelligence@GroupM.com for the full report.

This week, we decode the earnings from some of the largest sellers and buyers of advertising including Amazon, Disney, Fox, Snap, Mondelez, and Uber. Plus we look at economic news from Europe and the U.S. and expected implications for advertising growth, including the tariffs now on hold for Canada and Mexico.

NOTE: There was simply too much to cover in one podcast, so we'll tackle Google's results along with the Super Bowl next week. 

Key earnings insights include:

• Amazon: Continues to thrive with significant advertising growth driven by its streaming services.
• Fox: Successfully balances traditional cable and streaming, leveraging political and sports advertising.
• Disney: Faces challenges with a slight dip in Disney+ subscribers but maintains profitability in its streaming segment.

We also discuss the performance of major advertisers like Estee Lauder and Capri, who are navigating uneven recovery in the luxury sector, alongside steady growth from CPG giants like Colgate-Palmolive and Mondelez.

Digital endemic companies such as PayPal and Uber show robust revenue growth, with PayPal focusing on AI and partnership scaling, while Uber expands its services into less dense areas.

Finally, we touch on Shein's strategic re-entry into India, reflecting broader shifts in global trade dynamics, and the evolving advertising landscape that demands innovative strategies for brands to stay relevant.

NEXT WEEK: We'll breakdown Google earnings, Super Bowl, earnings from DoorDash, Airbnb, and other CPGs.

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Discover GroupM's latest⁠This Year Next Year⁠Forecast here:

https://www.groupm.com/this-year-next-year-2024-global-end-of-year-forecast/

• If you are GroupM client or part of WPP, reach out to business.intelligence@GroupM.com for the full report.

In episode 53, we dive into the latest earnings reports from tech giants like Meta and Microsoft, analyze Comcast's performance amidst industry shifts, and explore the luxury sector's outlook with a focus on China's recovery.

• Meta is leveraging its massive user base to monetize AI investments, with tools like Advantage+ showing strong growth (70% YoY growth).
• Microsoft continues to expand, driven by LinkedIn and a booming AI business (175% YoY increase).

• Comcast faces challenges in broadband but sees potential in mobile and a steady media division.
• LVMH's performance and advertising spend provide insights into the luxury sector's trajectory.

We also discuss the impact of interest rate decisions by the ECB and the Fed, analyzing their potential effects on economic growth and the advertising landscape. Plus, we'll touch on the US GDP's 2.3% annual growth in Q4 2024, driven by a 4.2% increase in consumer spending, and the overall economic outlook for 2025.

NEXT WEEK: We'll break down earnings from Spotify, Alphabet, and others, plus share our weekend plans.

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Discover GroupM's latest This Year Next Year Forecast here:

https://www.groupm.com/this-year-next-year-2024-global-end-of-year-forecast/

• If you are GroupM client or part of WPP, reach out to business.intelligence@GroupM.com for the full report.

In episode 52, we dive into the latest earnings reports from Netflix, luxury brands, and CPG giants like P&G, exploring key takeaways for advertisers and marketers. Netflix had a strong quarter, but is their content spend enough to stay ahead of the competition?

The luxury sector shows mixed results, with China's uneven recovery a major concern. CPG companies are shifting focus from pricing to volume growth as inflation falls. Plus, we discuss the impact of AI, with companies like LG betting on "affectionate intelligence" to make AI more user-friendly.

NEXT WEEK: We break it all down and preview next week's big earnings from LVMH, Meta, Microsoft, and more!

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View the latest This Year Next Year from GroupM:

https://www.groupm.com/this-year-next-year-2024-global-end-of-year-forecast/?utm_source=spotify