YouTube remains the dominant platform for ad-supported streaming investments, while industry consolidation and evolving measurement strategies define the shifting landscape for marketers in the connected TV sector.

Key Points

• YouTube leads the streaming market, capturing the largest share of ad placements (75%) and budgets (50%) among surveyed marketers as of early 2026.
• Major industry mergers, including the planned combination of Disney+ with Hulu and Paramount+ with Max, aim to reduce market fragmentation and improve audience targeting.
• Marketers primarily rely on impressions and watch time to measure campaign success, though interest in deterministic, conversion-based metrics is rising.
• Despite the growth of AI in other digital channels, only 18% of marketers currently utilize AI tools for connected TV campaigns, primarily for data analysis.
• Advertisers continue to face challenges regarding measurement complexity, media costs, and transparency within the "walled garden" environments of major streaming platforms.

Why it Matters

The streaming industry is transitioning from a fragmented ecosystem toward a consolidated "mega bundle" model that mirrors traditional cable television. This shift, combined with improved data collaboration, is expected to stabilize advertising costs and provide marketers with more reliable, actionable insights into consumer behavior.