Observed Signal · Feb 2, 2026 · Industry Trend · Source: VideoWeek · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Week in Charts: Marketers Push CTV, Sports Rights Rise
VideoWeek’s Week in Charts showcases a shift toward connected TV (CTV) investment as marketers plan to grow CTV spend in 2026, with 63% aiming to increase CTV budgets and a portion reallocating from linear TV. The piece also notes rapid growth in streaming services’ live sports rights, with Ampere Analysis projecting $14.2B in 2026 (up from $6.5B in 2022). Generalist platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Apple are expanding live sports investments, led by Amazon with about $3.8B in 2026 deals. Stagwell is gaining traction through SPORT BEACH and a new sports practice, with stock up over 30% since the announcement. Additional highlights include UK viewing leadership for Amandaland during Christmas and notable stock/move trends in adtech and media owners, alongside broader cross‑channel developments impacting TV, streaming, and measurement.
Highlights a major industry shift toward CTV investment and live sports rights expansion across streaming platforms.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- 63% of marketers expect to increase their investment in CTV in 2026 (Mediaocean Advertising Outlook).
- 34% of marketers expect to cut their national TV budgets; 17% will increase linear spend; 48% will keep linear budgets flat.
- Streaming sports rights investment projected to reach $14.2B in 2026, up from $6.5B in 2022 (Ampere Analysis).
- Amazon is the biggest generalist spender on live sports in 2026 with about $3.8B in deals.
- Stagwell announced SPORT BEACH and a dedicated sports practice; its stock rose over 30% since the announcement.
- Stranger Things final series topped UK Christmas viewing at just over 7 million viewers.
Connected Companies & Entities
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
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Week in Charts: CTV, Streaming, and Linear TV Trends
VideoWeek's 'Week in Charts' (published 2026-08-18) compiles data showing a rebound in linear TV viewing in New Zealand that has overtaken SVOD this year; RTL Group's streaming business is expected to be profitable (~€100m) after years of investment and structural changes; ad-supported SVOD tiers in North America have grown sharply (from $4.4bn in 2018 to $45.1bn), projected to represent 54% of SVOD revenues by year-end; microdrama-dedicated apps saw 95.5% download growth in H1 per Insightrackr and Mintel; several agency, ad-tech and media stocks moved following earnings and regulatory news. The article is a weekly charts roundup rather than an original corporate announcement.
CTV Growth Soars as UK Trust in TV Ads Rises
VideoWeek’s 'Week in Charts' roundup highlights multiple industry data points: Netflix’s UK ad-tier households grew 13.11% quarter-on-quarter in Q4 2025 (Barb’s Establishment Survey), driven by the Stranger Things finale; Disney+’s ad tier grew ~13% while Amazon Prime’s was largely flat. UK research shows rising trust in advertising across channels — TV trust rose from 33% in 2021 to 46% in 2025 (Credos) — while influencers remain the least trusted (25%). CTV viewers value convenience features such as starting a show from the beginning (77%), resuming where they left off (76%) and instant 'watch next' episode playback (76%) per Oliver & Ohlbaum. A study from the IPPR found BBC News is notably absent from ChatGPT answers. The roundup also notes broad downward pressure on agency and ad-tech stocks, Comcast’s relative resilience after Q4 results, Thomson Reuters’ 5% YoY Q4 revenue growth, Apple overtaking Google in market cap, and Amazon’s 14% stock fall after a large capex forecast.
Week in Charts: YouTube Ads, Netflix, Women's Sports
This Week in Charts roundup (VideoWeek, 2026-04-21) highlights recent media and marketing data: Tinuiti found skippable in-stream ads accounted for 63% of YouTube video ad spend in Q1 2026 while Shorts made up 18% of YouTube spend; Deloitte forecasts women’s elite global sports revenues will top $3 billion in 2026 (up from $2.41 billion in 2025) with sponsorships, matchday and broadcast deals driving growth; a YouGov survey shows strong European public support for social media bans for under-16s (France 79%, UK 76%, Germany 74%, Italy 70%, Spain 68%, Poland 53%); and a Supermetrics marketer survey reports 55% of marketers worry about budget cuts, with 46% considering personnel reductions and 36–37% eyeing agency fees, events and paid media. The piece also notes recent stock moves for Stagwell, Netflix and Future and summarises broader tech market context.
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