Local news goes over the top: OTT app viewing is growing in US markets
Local news is increasingly being consumed via OTT apps, according to Nielsen. In August 2025, station groups averaged 61,000 OTT viewers—up 69% year over year—with audiences trending younger and more diverse. The shift signals changing habits in how viewers access local broadcast content. Read more from Nielsen.
Study: 38% of U.S. Internet homes subscribe to a sports-specific streaming service
Parks Associates research shows that 38% of U.S. internet households now subscribe to a sports-specific streaming service, up dramatically from 4% in 2019. NFL content remains dominant, with 82% of sports viewers tuning in during the season, emphasizing live sports’ power to shape streaming economics. Read more from TVTechnology.
Amazon’s Prime Video ad tier grows to 315 million users
Amazon reports that Prime Video’s ad-supported tier now reaches 315 million monthly users worldwide. This figure comes as the platform promotes new AI-powered ad tools and streamlined workflows. Prime Video began including ads by default in 2024, with users able to opt out for an added fee. Read more from TheDesk.
Google expands image search ads with mobile carousel format
Google is rolling out a new AI-powered carousel ad format in mobile image search results. These horizontally scrollable ads include visuals, headlines, and direct links, expanding from shopping to services and other categories. The move brings paid placements earlier in the discovery journey. Read more from Search Engine Land.
Google’s AI becomes YouTube’s main door
YouTube is now the top-cited source in Google’s AI-powered ecommerce overviews, appearing in nearly 7% of citations—three times more than the next highest domain. As AI summaries appear in about half of Google searches and are projected to surpass 75% by 2028, YouTube’s role in AI-driven discovery continues to grow. Read more from MediaPost.
