MASCOTS ARE BACK, BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW THEM

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

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.

AN AD THAT WAITS UNTIL YOU TAKE A BREAK. PAUSE ADS TURN VIEWING BREAKS INTO A NEW ADVERTISING SPACE

4. 6. 2026 Streaming platforms and online TV services are looking for ways to monetise advertising without making the viewing experience unpleasant for audiences. One of the solutions is pause ads: advertisements that do not interrupt the action itself but appear only when the viewer pauses playback. At first glance, this unobtrusive format neatly illustrates where the entire advertising business is heading: towards greater interactivity, contextual relevance, and the search for a fine line between relevance and overload.

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.

CZECH CONTENT ACCOUNTS FOR A THIRD OF THE TELEVISION PROGRAMME LINE-UP, BUT ACCOUNTS FOR THE MAJORITY OF VIEWING FIGURES

26. 5. 2026 In 2025, Czech and Czechoslovak content accounted for a significantly higher share of television viewing figures than its representation in the programming schedule would suggest. According to data from the Association of Television Organisations, as highlighted by Atmedia, local programmes accounted for 31 per cent of the broadcasts on the stations surveyed, but accounted for 57 per cent of the time spent watching television.

ESG ADS ATTRACT LESS ATTENTION, BUT BOOST INTEREST IN THE TOPIC

5. 5. 2026 Although ESG adverts are, on average, less effective at capturing attention than standard campaigns, they can significantly boost interest in the topic being communicated, according to new research by Ipsos. The data also confirms growing consumer scepticism towards sustainability claims and a shift in how people define ‘green’ products.

A BIG-SCREEN STUDY FINDS STRONGER ATTENTION ON TV4 PLAY THAN ON YOUTUBE

24. 4. 2026 TV4 just launched its third attention study, comparing the viewing experience on its streaming service (TV4 Play) with YouTube’s big screen experience at home. It confirms once again the assumption that the streaming environment provided by a qualitative TV network (BVOD) delivers a much bigger attention than UGC platforms, such as YouTube. An at-home test with regular users of both services The comparison took place in December 2025, with research partner COG Research, and was built to test the attention of viewers who already used both TV4 Play and YouTube on a big screen. To take part, they had to use both services at least two to three times a week, for around 20 to 30 minutes per session. The viewing took place in participants’ homes, not in a test room. Attention was measured with an eye-tracking device (iVue glasses), as viewers chose current programmes or videos they were interested in and were told to behave as they normally would. The comparison also kept the screen conditions close: both platforms were viewed in full-screen mode and with longer video formats.

THE TV ADVERTISING PARADOX, A THINKTV NEW ZEALAND CASE STUDY (1/2)

24. 4. 2026 In late 2024, ThinkTV New Zealand, under the leadership of Jacqueline Freeman, GM Communications, undertook a full market review to understand how television was being perceived, valued, and used across the New Zealand marketing ecosystem. This was a broad diagnostic rather than a simple pulse check. It drew on perspectives from CMOs, CFOs, insights people, media agencies, creatives, and people working at the front line within television itself. The objective was not to validate assumptions already sitting in the market. It was to uncover what had changed, where belief had shifted, and why.

VAB: PREMIUM STREAMERS OUTPERFORM YOUTUBE IN ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS

21. 4. 2026 The Video Advertising Bureau said premium CTV platforms outperform YouTube in co-viewing, attention and session length, citing a year-long study of 22 services. Premium video delivered 33 percent higher co-viewing and sessions averaging 1 hour and 18 minutes, 49 percent longer than YouTube. The report argues premium CTV impressions generate stronger presence, sustained attention and overall advertising efficiency for marketers. The Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) has commissioned a study that encourages brands and marketers to re-think their approach to buying advertising against YouTube over premium media experiences like network-owned streaming platforms.

THE PROBLEM WITH MUCH AI-POWERED ADVERTISING IS THAT IT’S MEANINGLESS

21. 4. 2026 Audiences aren’t tired of advertising. They’re tired of low-value, repetitive, over-personalized noise that constantly demands something from them – and AI is turning up the volume.

IN AN ATTENTION ECONOMY, TV ADS STILL MAKE THE STRONGEST MEMORIES

1. 4. 2026 As consumers fluidly jump from social feeds to podcasts, search engines, and streaming apps, capturing meaningful attention has never been more challenging. Fragmentation has not only multiplied the number of touchpoints, but it has also intensified the competition for consumer focus.

OMNICONNECT: WITHOUT THE RIGHT METRICS, YOU CAN’T MANAGE MARKETING TODAY

30. 3. 2026 This year’s OmniConnect conference demonstrated that well-defined metrics are key to marketing management, brand growth and return on investment. Alongside global insights, local case studies were also presented, confirming the growing role of data, AI and attention management in modern communication.

ATTENTION IS NOT THE GOAL; IT IS A BRIDGE TO CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVENESS

30. 3. 2026 Advertising needs to return to a focus on effectiveness rather than chasing cheap impressions and clicks. Attention can play a key role as a bridge between reach and results. However, using it effectively lies in planning, not optimisation. This was highlighted by Malcolm Devoy of PHD at the OmniConnect conference.

STUDY: EUROPE REMAINS LOYAL TO TELEVISION, WITH VIDEO VIEWING DOMINATED BY THE BIG SCREEN IN THE LIVING ROOM

30. 3. 2026 RTL AdAlliance has published the fifth edition of its annual Living Room Study, which this year covers an even broader audience, thanks to newly added markets such as China and Hungary. The study clearly shows that television continues to play a key role in Europe even in the age of streaming services — it remains the main place for watching video, the centre of the shared viewing experience, and the natural home of local content.

OMDIA: SECOND-SCREEN VIDEO VIEWING SPREADS TO OLDER AUDIENCES

11. 3. 2026 Media multitasking is no longer confined to younger viewers, with new Omdia research showing sharp growth in mobile video viewing alongside television among older age groups in the United States.

MUSIC IS THE GATEWAY TO EMOTIONS AND INCREASES MARKETING EFFECTIVENESS – BUT BRANDS OFTEN UNDERESTIMATE ITS POWER, SAYS THE STUDY SOUND SCIENCE

3. 3. 2026 Sometimes, adverts get under our skin. And then, even hours after watching them, we find ourselves humming a catchy melody or jingle that got stuck in our heads. Yet in planning advertising campaigns, music is often an “afterthought”. This was one of the reasons for the creation of the study Sound Science: How Music Is the Missing Link in Marketing ROI.

NEW SCREAM HITS THEATERS AS AUDIENCES BUZZ WITH ANTICIPATION. BRANDS TAP INTO THE POPULARITY OF HORROR IN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS

2. 3. 2026 Three years have passed since the release of Scream 6, and the seventh instalment is now racing into theatres. The trailer for the new film premiered during this year’s Super Bowl, leaving fans of the franchise eager for more. The sixth film was a major commercial success, grossing over $168 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing entry in the series on the North American market. It also received positive reviews from both audiences and critics. Horror films are generally popular with viewers, so anticipation is high for the next addition to the franchise. But terror doesn’t come only from movies. Sometimes, audiences let out frightened screams while watching TV ads, too. And let’s be honest, some of them are truly worth it.