ATHLETES WILL BECOME THEIR OWN BROADCASTERS; A RISE IN THE PRICE OF BROADCASTING RIGHTS IS NOT CERTAIN, SAYS MICHAEL PAYNE

9. 10. 2026 | 4 min read The value of sports broadcasting rights may not automatically rise in the future, and the traditional model of the sports business is set to undergo significant changes. This was stated by Michael Payne, former marketing director of the International Olympic Committee, at the Sport Alive conference. He identified the direct relationship between athletes and leagues and their fans, the growing influence of technology platforms, and the shift in sponsorship from intervention to community building as key trends.

FOR SOME AD CAMPAIGNS, BRANDS ARE BORROWING FROM CLASSIC TV

7. 10. 2026 | 4 min read Brands like Denny’s and JCPenney are making odes to sitcoms and reality television in an effort to tap into nostalgia and get consumers who “hate” ads to pay attention.

REPORT: 83% OF UK ADVERTISERS USING AI

6. 10. 2026 | 3 min read AI in advertising has moved firmly beyond experimentation in the UK, with more than eight in ten marketers (83%) now actively using or piloting AI in production, according to research from XR. The findings suggest AI is becoming embedded across advertising and creative operations as brands and agencies respond to growing demand for content.

WHY 2026 HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS LOOK DIFFERENT THIS YEAR

6. 10. 2026 | 2 min read Traditions are evolving as more people than ever celebrate Halloween.

CTV DRIVES MORE THAN HALF OF EUROPE’S PREMIUM VIDEO AD VIEWS

29. 9. 2026 | 3 min read Connected TV has become the dominant driver of premium video advertising in Europe, accounting for 53 percent of all premium video ad views in the first half of 2026, according to FreeWheel’s latest Video Monetisation Report. The biannual study from the Comcast‑owned advertising technology company shows that Europe’s shift toward CTV and streaming is reshaping the continent’s video advertising landscape, with programmatic buying playing an increasingly central role.

TRUST BECOMES ADVERTISING’S MOST VALUABLE CURRENCY IN AI ERA

23. 9. 2026 | 5 min read Advertising has spent years perfecting the art of finding consumers. Whether consumers are delighted to be found is another matter.

YOUNG CONSUMERS’ SPORTS VIEWING RISES SHARPLY

11. 9. 2026 | 2 min read Young consumers are watching more sports than ever -- live and non-live sports content on TV and other devices -- according to Hub Entertainment Research. This growth is attributable to social media and digital media creators.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL MARKETING IS A MASH UP OF AI TECH AND VALUE MESSAGING

4. 9. 2026 | 4 min read AI’s role in deal hunting, how kids sway purchase behavior and other top stats from August.

SURVEY: MOST ‘UNSKIPPABLE’ ADS NOT BEING WATCHED

24. 8. 2026 | 4 min read Research from consumer insights platform Attest finds that many of the assumptions underpinning media planning simply don’t reflect how people actually consume content today.

STREAMING GIANTS SCALE BACK PRICE HIKES AS CONSUMERS HIT CEILING ON WILLINGNESS TO PAY

24. 8. 2026 | 3 min read Average price increases at Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon have slowed sharply over the past three years, signalling that major streamers may be approaching the limits of what subscribers are willing to spend.

OPERATORS ARE MOVING PAY-TV TO THE INTERNET

19. 7. 2026 | 3 min read According to a new analysis, 55 per cent of European households will have a direct pay-TV subscription by the end of the year, which is just 1.6 percentage points more than five years ago. However, behind this stable figure lie significant national differences as well as a growing shift towards OTT streaming.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPERS ARE NOT IGNORING AI

17. 7. 2026 | 5 min read Advertising and marketing hype has become heavily saturated with the term "agentic buying" for back-to-school purchases, but the distinction between actual transactional data and futuristic projection only becomes more blurred as the season gets underway.

MAJORITY OF BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPERS GET A HEAD START ON THE SEASON

14. 7. 2026 | 5 min read Consumers are getting an early start on back-to-school shopping, with 62% of shoppers having already started shopping for the school year by early July, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. While the figure is down slightly from 67% at the same point in 2025, it remains significantly higher than the 55% reported in 2024.

MASCOTS ARE BACK, BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW THEM

14. 7. 2026 | 6 min read Future-focused brands know that mascots can embody a brand and bring it to life.

STREAMERS STEP UP MOBILE STRATEGY AS SHORT-FORM VIDEO RESHAPES VIEWING HABITS, VEED ANALYTICS SAYS

8. 7. 2026 | 2 min read Traditional streaming platforms are overhauling their mobile apps with short-form video features as they seek to challenge the dominance of social platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, according to new research from veed analytics.

SPORTS KEEPS VIEWERS CONNECTED TO TRADITIONAL TELEVISION

6. 7. 2026 | 2 min read Inscape's Q1 2026 data shows sports viewing grew to 1.8 hours weekly, but traditional TV's dominance is slipping as streaming claimed 12% of sports time—up from 11.5% a year prior.

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

23. 6. 2026 | 9 min read 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?

THE WORLD CUP WILL CAPTURE YOUNGER CONSUMERS’ ATTENTION AND BUDGETS

8. 6. 2026 | 3 min read Many companies are betting on the World Cup to capture consumers’ attention, build awareness, and drive spending.