Warner Bros. Discovery had something old and something new to introduce at the TV Upfronts, reverting back to the name HBO Max a little after two years of being known as Max. The company also rolled out a new advertiser tool, WBD Storyverse, unlocking its 100 year-old asset vault “to help brands emotionally connect with audiences using beloved characters and IP with new twists.” WBD says it “will work strategically with partners” to identify good fits with “fan-favorite” content that can be used in new ways to “capture the magic of the original IP through a branded lens.” Continue reading WBD Rolls Out Advertiser Storyverse, Reintroduces HBO Max

Netflix told Upfronts attendees its ad-supported tier now reaches more than 94 million global monthly active users, including more 18-34-year-olds than any other U.S. broadcast or cable network. The total grew by 20 million since November, when Netflix last publicly shared the tally. Making a case for ad support in a competitive market, Netflix President of Advertising Amy Reinhard added that the streamer’s U.S. users are “highly engaged, spending an average of 41 hours per month on Netflix.” The ad-supported tier was added in November 2022 and costs $7.99 per month (versus $17.99 monthly for the entry level ad-free plan). Continue reading Netflix Enters Third Year of Ad Tier with 94 Million Active Users

Amazon’s second Upfront presentation featured a lineup of Hollywood celebrities including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Momoa and Jamie Lee Curtis joined by sports stars such as Travis Kelce and John Cena. The streamer announced that “Spider-Noir,” the Marvel series starring Nicolas Cage, debuts on Prime Video next year, while the post-apocalyptic drama “Fallout” returns for a third season. The Academy of Country Music Awards will call Prime Video home for the next three years. The ad-supported version of the streaming service has added 15 million monthly customers since January 2024 and now reaches about 130 million U.S. households monthly. Continue reading Amazon Touts Prime Video Subs, Series and Sports at Upfront

As part of a larger push to boost its global subscriptions, Google’s YouTube is pilot-testing a discounted two-person Premium plan with select users in France, Hong Kong, India and Taiwan. The tier’s pilot program, which allows users to share their YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium membership with another household member (13 years or older) without committing to a family plan, comes as the platform looks to diversity beyond its advertising business. YouTube is testing whether the plan, similar to the Duo offering from music streamer Spotify, would be appealing to couples or roommates looking to minimize costs while maintaining separate accounts. Continue reading YouTube Tests Two-Person Premium Tier to Help Grow Subs

Amazon’s growth contracted in Q1, with revenue up 9 percent compared to 13 percent a year ago. That was good enough to outperform Wall Street forecasts, with overall sales increasing to $155.7 billion, compared with $143.3 billion in Q1 2024. In addition, Amazon Web Services sales grew by nearly 17 percent to $29.3 billion. Yet Amazon share price fell by up to 4.3 percent after hours, a reflection of a Q2 forecast the company says could be affected by newly imposed tariffs. “Obviously, none of us know exactly where tariffs will settle, or when,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told analysts on the Q1 earnings call. Continue reading Amazon Reports Strong Quarter, Braces for Impact of Tariffs

Meta Platforms revenue for Q1 was $42.3 billion, up 16 percent year-over-year and besting Wall Street estimates of $41.3 billion. Profits were up 35 percent to $16.6 billion, hurtling past analyst estimates of $13.6 billion. Advertising, up nearly 15 percent for the quarter compared to last year, comfortably passed $41 billion, driving the revenue performance. Meta began Q2 by launching its anticipated standalone Meta AI app. Built with natively multimodal Llama 4 models, the company is positioning the Meta AI app as “a personal AI designed around voice conversations,” according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Continue reading Meta Touts 35 Percent Q1 Profit Jump, ‘Personalized’ AI App

Alphabet revenue was $90.2 billion in Q1, a 12 percent increase year-over-year that reflects “robust momentum” across Google Search and YouTube ads and Google Cloud, each delivering double-digit growth rates. Google Cloud was up 28 percent to $12.3 billion in divisions including AI infrastructure and generative AI solutions. Net profit surged 46 percent to $34.5 billion while operating income grew 20 percent to $30.6 billion. Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said the quarter was “super exciting” due to breakthroughs in performance by Gemini 2.5, calling it “our most intelligent AI” and a strong foundation “for future innovation.” Continue reading Alphabet Profit Is Up 46 Percent, Driven by AI and Advertising

After testing advertising in select markets, Meta Platforms is now offering ads on Instagram’s Threads globally to all eligible advertisers, providing access to the more than 320 million monthly active users the social platform has accrued since launching in July 2023. The Threads feed ad placement will be set on by default for new campaigns using either Advantage+ or Manual Placements unless an advertiser toggles to opt out. Global Threads advertisers will also have access to the platform’s inventory filter, which provides increased control over the distribution of ads. Continue reading Meta Opens Threads Advertising Globally to Eligible Accounts

Roku is partnering with Adobe to integrate its Roku Data Cloud with Adobe Real-Time Customer Data Platform (CDP) for a new real-time advertising data platform. The idea is to allow advertisers to access more in-depth insights that can potentially be used to launch “more personalized and performant advertising” while prioritizing privacy, according to Roku. “This integration will unlock the opportunity for traditional performance marketers — like search and social buyers — to plan, activate, and measure campaigns on Roku,” said Miles Fisher, the streamer’s senior director of strategic advertising partnerships. Continue reading Roku Teams Up with Adobe on a Real-Time Ad Data Platform

Netflix posted record profit of $2.9 billion in Q1, a 24 percent increase year-over-year that exceeded its forecast of $2.44 billion. Revenue was up nearly 13 percent to $10.54 billion for the three month period. The streamer attributed the strong performance to “slightly higher subscription and ad revenue and the timing of expenses.” The company is looking ahead to a strong 2025 and robust growth in upcoming years, with an internal goal of doubling annual revenue to $80 billion by 2030 and global ad sales aiming to hit $9 billion. Full-year revenue is forecast to land between $43.5 billion and $44.5 billion. Continue reading Netflix Reports Another Record Quarter with $2.9 Billion Profit

LG has partnered with AI startup Zenapse and will leverage its proprietary large emotion model (LEM) to power advertising that reflects viewers’ moods and emotions. Building on Zenapse’s “emotional AI and psychographic targeting,” the companies say they will “redefine viewer engagement, personalization, and campaign performance” by applying the technology to LG Ad Solutions’ advanced connected TV platform. As part of the multi-year deal, Zenapse and LG Innovation Labs will work to develop new CTV ad products that integrate emotional intelligence to deliver “more meaningful and measurable brand experiences across 200 million LG smart TVs globally.” Continue reading LG and Zenapse Partner on Emotionally Intelligent Advertising

Patreon, a subscription platform popular among individual creators and small companies, is expanding beyond boutique service with a network initiative that has inked Wondery and Sony Music Entertainment to podcasting deals. Patreon says podcasting is its largest category, with participants earning more than $472 million from over 6.7 million paid memberships. The figure marked a 35 percent increase from 2023. With more than 100 million total memberships, Patreon says it is “the best place on the Internet for independent podcasters and media networks alike.” The 12-year-old company provides tools for creators to connect directly with fans. Continue reading Patreon Signs Podcasting Deals with Wondery and Sony Music

Roblox is working with Google to scale-up advertising, adding the search giant’s immersive ads and allowing users to opt-in to watch full-screen spots of up to 30-seconds to earn in-game perks. The program, known as Rewarded Video, was announced at the IAB PlayFronts where Roblox also touted new partnerships with measurement and brand lift firms including Nielsen, Kantar, IAS, Cint and DoubleVerify “to enable brands to better understand the impact of their investment.” Rewarded Video will be implemented by Google Ad Manager, which offers its own metrics. Gamers will be able to accrue benefits including virtual currency and power-ups. Continue reading Roblox Teams with Google Offering Immersive Ads in Games

Ad measurement firm iSpot has launched Outcomes at Scale with Paramount as its first customer. Designed to speed performance tracking across TV and streaming by helping brands see campaign results almost instantly, allowing them to optimize on the fly, iSpot says Outcomes at Scale makes “attribution” (consumer response to commercials) available rapidly, while making low-funnel insights — metrics occurring closer to the conversion point — more accessible. The company’s new offering aims to provide advertisers with access to conversion-rate tracking, allowing them to see how audience segments are responding to campaigns throughout the ads and dayparts. Continue reading Paramount Adopts iSpot’s New Ad Tech: Outcomes at Scale

Los Angeles-based AI startup Moonvalley has released a video generator purpose-built for entertainment and advertising. Called Marey, its creators say it was designed with the “specifications and tastes” of filmmakers and studios in mind and trained exclusively on owned or fully licensed source data to protect users from lawsuits. Asteria, a partner in the venture, owns a large documentary library through its subsidiary XTR. Its founders say Marey aims to usher in “a new era of GenAI video built to empower — not replace — the creative forces behind modern motion pictures.” Continue reading Moonvalley and Asteria Unveil Cinematic GenVid Model Marey