Top 5 Media Landscape Insights- January

Stay on top of today’s constantly changing media environment with DirectAvenue’s Top 5 Insights. We give you specific network updates and emerging media trends in a digestible format.

January 1, 2023

1. Advertisers & consumers have mixed views of streaming- On the one side, continuous surveys and predictions consistently indicate that advertisers and agencies are gearing up for increased investments in connected TV. Last week, it was highlighted that Intelligence Insider/eMarketer projected a significant 22% surge in connected TV spending for 2024. As streaming services increase subscription fees and explore different strategies to enhance their financial performance, consumers, despite media companies claiming otherwise, appear willing to make compromises beyond tolerating additional advertisements to prevent further price hikes.
2. Shifts in targeting, creative metrics, & CTV addressable in 2024- As artificial intelligence advances rapidly and the environment becomes devoid of cookies, executives on the buying side, selling side, and in ad-tech anticipate significant advancements in connected and addressable TV in 2024. According to Larry Allen, vice president and manager, data and addressable enablement at Comcast Advertising, both purchasers and vendors are actively pursuing diversity in order to accurately and consistently measure ad views across both linear and streaming platforms. The crucial factor in achieving the highest level of reliability and accuracy in cross-screen measurement lies in innovation.
3. Paramount kicks off campaign to win Super Bowl tickets- Paramount+ is launching a fresh interactive sweepstakes campaign titled “Hide & Peak” ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, scheduled for February 11. Participants have the chance to win a pair of tickets for a VIP experience at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. The “Hide & Peak” campaign will run until 12 p.m. ET on January 8, and the winners will be revealed on January 15. Domenic DiMeglio, EVP-chief marketing officer, Paramount Streaming mentioned the digital activation gives us the chance to engage audiences within our service, while also giving back to some of our lucky fans with 58 tickets in honor of Super Bowl LVIII.
4. Amazon brings ads to prime video for a price- Starting January 29, Amazon will introduce a restricted number of advertisements on Prime Video films and TV series as part of their commitment to investing in engaging content and expanding that investment over an extended period, as mentioned in an email sent to customers. To enjoy ad-free streaming, Prime subscribers can now choose to pay an extra three dollars per month. In September, Amazon initially disclosed its plans to integrate advertisements into its content across the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and Canada. Customers in additional regions will have until the end of next year to determine whether they prefer to pay an additional fee for an ad-free experience on Prime Video.
5. 2024’s streaming TV trends, what to expect- As consumers increasingly assert control over their media usage and habits, a noticeable trend emerges that marketers and publishers cannot overlook: there is a heightened necessity to captivate audiences through pertinent and compelling experiences, encompassing both content and advertising. In 2024, brands seeking novel ways to engage consumers will find shoppable ads as the solution, bringing innovation to a domain that has remained largely unchanged for decades. The focus will be on retail media networks such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, Albertsons, and others, as observers anticipate how this trend might positively disrupt traditional e-commerce opportunities.