Video
Netflix reported Q2 2026 earnings with revenue up 13% year-over-year to $12.6 billion, in line with expectations. The company reaffirmed its full-year ad revenue target of $3 billion, noting that while live sports content drove ad and subscription growth, its limited time window contributed less to total viewing time than regular series.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released the second part of its video ad spending report, noting that while US connected TV (CTV) ad spending is expected to grow 11% to $29.3 billion this year, advertisers' trust in CTV inventory quality remains low: 43% of buyers express 'partial or complete distrust' in inventory under trusted purchasing methods such as programmatic guaranteed, while distrust in open exchange and real-time bidding exceeds two-thirds. The report attributes the trust gap to invalid traffic and opaque inventory sourcing, and reveals even lower trust in retail media networks (59% distrust). Meanwhile, targeting capabilities and live content are emerging as new focal points influencing purchasing decisions.
State Farm announced that the fifth season of its gaming competition series "Gamerhood" will premiere on July 31, with IShowSpeed leading a roster of creators. The series has accumulated over 53 million views across its first four seasons. This season returns to the free-for-all format of the first season and adds the 2D game "Jake's Neighborhood Swarm" and Flowcode QR code interactive technology to deepen consumer connections.
Walmart announced last week its plan to acquire Vibe.co, a connected TV advertising platform targeting small and medium-sized businesses, in a deal reportedly worth $1.2 billion in cash, marking its largest investment in advertising since acquiring Vizio for $2.3 billion in 2024. The move aims to catch up with Amazon, whose annual advertising revenue is roughly ten times that of Walmart. Industry experts believe the deal lowers the barrier to entry for CTV advertising and drives the convergence of retail media and streaming TV.
Target's retail media division Roundel has announced a partnership with DirecTV Advertising to pilot the use of Target's first-party shopper data for targeting premium video ads on the DirecTV platform, covering scenarios such as household TV, live sports, and out-of-home screens, and to track the correlation between ad exposure and sales conversion through a unified measurement framework. Danone has become one of the first test clients, and Roundel is actively expanding participation from more brands.
Warner Bros. Discovery announced a deepened collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to rebuild its advertising technology stack around agentic AI. The initiative aims to integrate linear TV and digital ad buying processes into a unified AI platform, automating media planning, dynamic forecasting, real-time optimization, and closed-loop measurement. The company plans to launch a unified media planning tool in Q3 2025, with AI-driven order management and pricing features rolling out gradually.
Fox Corporation announced today the acquisition of Roku for approximately $22 billion, in a cash-and-stock deal. The combined company will integrate Fox's content assets with Roku's CTV platform, reaching over 100 million global households, with combined annual advertising revenue of approximately $9 billion, becoming the third-largest participant in U.S. television viewership share.
Google announced a new partnership with Walmart Connect, allowing advertisers to use Walmart's audience and measurement data in Google Display & Video 360 to evaluate the impact of YouTube ads on Walmart store sales. Additionally, Google is testing richer Local Services Ads formats for real estate listings, providing detailed information such as pricing, images, and key home features, supported by the HouseCanary data platform.
GSTV has partnered with Stagwell's The Marketing Cloud to integrate the Stagwell Agentic Targeting System (SATS), becoming the first media network outside of the agency holding company to use SATS. Conagra Brands is the first advertiser to adopt SATS.
Fox Corporation's direct-to-consumer streaming service Fox One launches a new ad campaign, 'The FIFA World Cup Comes First,' claiming full live coverage of all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup. Created by Anomaly, the campaign features four 30-second spots showing absurd scenarios of lifeguards, driving instructors, and other characters sneaking looks at Fox One during work hours, echoing the reality that most weekday matches kick off during U.S. working hours.