CANNES LIONS WRAP-UP: PART TWO – FROM EFFECTIVENESS TO GROWTH, FROM VOLUME TO TRUST

28. 6. 2026 Another part of the overall round-up of the Cannes Lions festival was a panel discussion featuring the heads of content from three platforms: Lions, Contagious and WARC. They took their seats at a table on stage to review the main themes of the past week.

CANNES LIONS WRAP-UP: PART ONE – THE WORLD OF AI AND PEOPLE

28. 6. 2026 AI was one of the main themes at Cannes Lions, but the tone of the debate has shifted. Naive enthusiasm and even irrational fears about the loss of human creativity have given way to more practical and profound topics.

THE STRANGER THINGS EFFECT: IS IT WORTH LENGTHENING THE PAUSES BETWEEN SEASONS?

28. 6. 2026 The breaks between seasons of TV series have more than doubled over the last decade. According to an analysis by Ampere, whilst longer waits increase interest in the return of popular shows, they also increase the risk that some viewers will cancel their streaming subscriptions during the break.

CARAT WINS THE ‘MEDIA NETWORK OF THE YEAR’ TITLE AT THE CANNES LIONS

26. 6. 2026 Carat, the media agency network part of the Dentsu Group, was named Media Network of the Year at the 2026 Cannes Lions Festival. It secured the award thanks to three Gold, one Silver and two Bronze Lions.

FIVE MARKETING TRUTHS: RITSON AND SHARP REACHED A CONSENSUS IN CANNES

23. 6. 2026 Mark Ritson and Byron Sharp are among the most prominent and most frequently cited figures in contemporary marketing. At the Cannes Lions festival, their rare joint appearance was based on a simple premise: given that they are known for frequently competing against one another, are there any issues on which they can actually agree?

STUDY: YOUNGER VIEWERS MORE DISTRACTED BUT MORE RECEPTIVE TO ADS

22. 6. 2026 A new study finds the long-term rise in ad acceptance continues, with ad intolerance falling to a record low across all age groups, and that viewers are supportive of AI tools if they are used to improve discoverability and the viewing experience.

STUDY USA: PROGRAMMATIC CTV PAUSE ADS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TRADITIONAL SPOTS

18. 6. 2026 WunderKIND Ads has released a new study analyzing the impact of Pause Ads compared with traditional CTV spots that show Pause Ads delivered nearly two times higher attention than standard 60-second CTV ads.

THE WORLD CUP WILL CAPTURE YOUNGER CONSUMERS’ ATTENTION AND BUDGETS

8. 6. 2026 Many companies are betting on the World Cup to capture consumers’ attention, build awareness, and drive spending.

LG RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS GROWING ROLE OF TV HOME SCREENS IN FILM DISCOVERY

4. 6. 2026 The smart TV home screen is becoming an increasingly important tool for film marketers, influencing both cinema attendance and at-home viewing decisions, according to new research from LG Ad Solutions.

STUDY: LATE WORLD CUP KICK-OFFS TO CHANGE UK VIEWING HABITS, SAYS EE

4. 6. 2026 Late-night World Cup kick-offs are expected to change how UK football fans watch this summer’s tournament, according to new research from EE.

FAST GOES MAINSTREAM AS EUROPEAN VIEWERS EMBRACE FREE STREAMING, RAKUTEN TV SAYS

3. 6. 2026 Free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) is moving firmly into the mainstream across Europe, according to new research from Rakuten TV Enterprise.

APPLE SPENDS THE MOST, BUT OTHERS ARE GRABBING THE LIMELIGHT. WHAT DETERMINES A VIEWER’S VALUE?

31. 5. 2026 The highest investment in content does not automatically translate into the greatest audience attention. At the same time, streaming platforms are beginning to shift their perspective on their most valuable customers. Viewers who watch adverts and spend more time engaging with content are becoming increasingly valuable.

STUDY FINDS GROWING ACCEPTANCE OF ADVERTISING ON STREAMING PLATFORMS

28. 5. 2026 Consumers are becoming increasingly receptive to advertising-funded streaming services, according to new research published by German public broadcaster ARD’s Research Service.

STREAMING VIEWERS WAIT LONGER FOR RETURNING ORIGINALS, SAYS AMPERE

27. 5. 2026 Viewing of Stranger Things rose 300% in the second half of 2025 ahead of its fifth and final season.

STUDY: NEARLY HALF OF U.S. VIEWERS WATCH VIDEO WITH CAPTIONS

23. 5. 2026 Survey results from U.S., U.K., France, Spain and Germany show captions have become a mainstream viewing behavior in every market.

STUDY: AI LABELING DOES NOT HURT VIDEO AD PERFORMANCE

22. 5. 2026 MediaScience tested four AI labeling approaches as governments and platforms start to require disclosure.

BUDGETS ARE NOW THE TOP CONSIDERATION FOR BUYING A STREAMING SERVICE

20. 5. 2026 Half of consumers "strongly agree" that budget is the main factor they consider when buying entertainment services.

BRANDZ RANKINGS: GOOGLE OVERTAKES APPLE, AI DRIVES BRAND VALUES TO RECORD LEVELS

14. 5. 2026 The value of the world’s biggest brands has risen significantly this year thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence. Google has become the new number one in the Kantar BrandZ Top 100 global ranking; technology firms have dominated the top spots, and Chinese brands are also gaining significant ground. AI services such as ChatGPT and Claude have also seen record growth.