iSpot: TV Ad Budgets Hold Steady Despite Economic Jitters

Despite ongoing economic uncertainty and growing concerns over tariffs and a potential recession, most advertisers plan to maintain or even increase their TV and streaming ad budgets this year, according to new survey data from video measurement firm iSpot. The findings, released ahead of this year’s Upfronts, show 86% of brands and agencies expect their budgets for TV and streaming to either stay the same or grow in 2025. Just 14% anticipate any cuts— though iSpot cautions that figure could rise if economic conditions worsen.

Indiana Fever & WTHR Extend Broadcast Agreement

WTHR and WALV, Tegna’s MeTV affiliate in the market, will air 18 games, giving fans across central Indiana access to watch the Fever as they fight to return to the WNBA playoffs. Last season, WTHR’s coverage elevated Indiana Fever viewership to new heights. Fever games on WTHR were watched in nearly two-thirds more homes than nationally televised matchups, boasting a 63% household ratings increase over national network games, according to WTHR.

Dynamic Ad Insertion Is Key To CTV Dollars

To stay competitive, broadcasters must implement the right strategy and offer advertisers something that the likes of YouTube cannot: a superior, scalable, and seamless ad experience delivered to an engaged audience. Dynamic ad insertion (DAI) has now become the gold standard. It presents a holistic monetization solution that transforms broadcaster platforms into advertising powerhouses. But how can broadcasters use DAI to bridge the gap to the future of ad monetization?

Study: Consumers Want More Video From Brands

In its fourth-annual State of Video Technology report, Atomik said nearly 80% of consumers want brand communications to involve video products, and they’re open to the idea of those videos being created using AI tools.

Katz Media Group Promotions Come To Political Ad Team

National advertising sales specialist Katz Media Group has promoted from within to fill the roles of VP of Political Sales and Director of Political Sales, respectively. PJ Stack takes the Vice President slot, while Kevin McTigue becomes Director.

Madhive Welcomes A Chief Product Officer

Taking the CPO role is Michael Kim. Kim was previously Senior Vice President of Product at Samba TV and, before that, served as Chief Product Officer at Simulmedia.

Pharma: TV Advertising Is Key

The impact of TV is evident, as 85% of 58 first-time pharmaceutical TV advertisers—from their FDA approval date through 1/31/25—saw their highest brand search volume once their TV campaign launched.

Pharma Brands Rocket Forward On Spot TV

Take one quick glance at the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten TV report, and you’ll clearly see that pharmaceutical brands are sending dollars to broadcast TV.

Local Stations See Upside In Pro Sports, But It’s Still Early Innings

For teams, the OTA broadcasts reach a much bigger audience than they had with RSNs, helping to drive ticket and merchandise sales as well as overall fan engagement. And for local stations, the live games have yielded a significant ratings improvement over the programming they replaced as well as a strong advertiser response.

Used-Auto Prices Fall In March, Despite Demand

Wholesale used-vehicle prices were lower in March compared to February. The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI) dropped to 202.6 in March, a 0.2% year-over-year decrease. This is also lower than February’s level, CBT News reports.