AI agents and tighter budgets are reshaping holiday retail media
Retail media is becoming the go-to ad channel this holiday season as AI shopping tools and cautious spending shape brand strategies. A forecast projects global retail media spend will top $196.7 billion in 2026, surpassing TV. Success hinges on speed and data precision. Read more from The Current.
Meta tests limits on link sharing for unverified accounts: report
Meta is testing a rule limiting some non-verified Facebook pages to just two organic link posts per month. The goal is to test subscriber value while nudging brands toward verification. Publishers and comments remain unaffected in this trial. Read more from MediaDailyNews.
Broadcast and streaming team up for a historic month of TV viewership
November 2025 saw record TV usage, up 5.5% over October, with broadcast TV hitting a new high of 23.2% market share. Sports were a major driver, helping broadcast surpass cable for a third month and drawing more young viewers back to linear channels. Read more from Nielsen.
Google AI Overviews surged in 2025, then pulled back: data
Google AI Overviews peaked in July 2025, appearing in nearly 25% of queries before falling to under 16% by November. The feature expanded beyond basic info to more commercial and transactional queries, with ad presence increasing throughout the year. Read more from Search Engine Land.
Netflix goes all-in on podcast push, including top sports podcasts
Netflix signed an eight-figure deal with Barstool Sports to stream exclusive video podcasts like Pardon My Take. The move aims to shift viewers from YouTube to Netflix’s paid platform, expanding its podcast play amid deals with Spotify and iHeart. Read more from Front Office Sports.
