Observed Signal · Feb 3, 2026 · Earnings Report · Source: VideoWeek · Impact: 5/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Week in Charts: Starbucks Cuts Marketing Spend, YouTube Nears 30B
This edition highlights three main themes in adtech: YouTube’s growing video volume driven by Shorts and AI-generated content, rising industry concern about AI replacing marketing procurement roles, and notable stock moves in ad-tech firms. Omdia reports YouTube has reached 29 billion total videos as of December 2025, with rapid growth over the last decade, fueled by Shorts, AI content, and expanded markets like India. The World Federation of Advertisers notes increasing anxiety among procurement leaders that AI could displace jobs, with concern rising from 13% (Dec 2024) to 46% (Dec 2025). Dentsu’s CMO Navigator finds 96% of Latin American CMOs reporting revenue gains in the past year. S4 Capital’s shares jumped 47% after upgrading guidance for full-year 2025, while broader market moves reflected ongoing AI and ad-spend dynamics affecting agencies. The piece encapsulates ongoing shifts in platform activity, measurement, and funding shaping the AdTech landscape.
Earnings updates and significant stock movements from major platforms/companies; high industry impact.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- YouTube reached 29 billion total videos as of December 2025 per Omdia, with growth driven by Shorts, AI-generated content, and India expansion.
- WFA surveys show AI-related procurement risk rising from 13% in December 2024 to 46% in December 2025.
- S4 Capital shares jumped 47% after upgrading guidance for full-year 2025.
- 96% of Latin American CMOs reported revenue growth in the past 12 months per Dentsu’s CMO Navigator.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Agentic AI Reshapes Products; YouTube Shorts Growth; UK Publishers
This Week in Charts summarizes broad trends in adtech and media. Agentic AI is reshaping how products and services are developed, while YouTube short-form videos continue to gain traction, with 77% of views attributed to clips under one minute and long-form views shrinking to 4.08% in 2025. UK digital publishers posted 4.24% year-over-year revenue growth in Q3 2025, though half of participants reported declines, suggesting growth is concentrated among a subset of publishers. In the US, 61% of households rely on smart TVs as their primary streaming device. A EMARKETER/Zeta Global survey finds 78% of marketers expect martech/ads tech convergence within three years, but latency, data incompatibility, and silos remain barriers. The article also tracks stock moves and notable moves in adtech and TV, including Stagwell’s SPORT BEACH unit, a Paramount-WBD bid context, and Criteo’s stock uptick amid Robeco’s increased stake.
CTV & AI Growth; Video to Counter AI Threat
Week in Charts flags CTV and AI as the main growth areas in IAB Europe’s Attitudes to Digital Advertising, with agencies (76%), publishers (54%), and ad tech (81%) naming CTV and 60% of advertisers citing AI as growth drivers. Reuters Institute notes publishers will focus more on video in the AI era, citing declines in traffic referrals from AI search results. Ampere Analysis forecasts global content investment reaching $255 billion in 2026, up 2% from 2025, led by streaming with spend rising 6% to $101 billion while broadcasters stagnate or decline. CoComelon tops end-of-year video streams, led by The Wheels on the Bus, with Bruno Mars songs in second and third and Golden from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters in fourth. The Week in Stocks section highlights movements in Roku, The New York Times, and Adobe, and the piece weaves in signals around AI, M&A, pricing, and measurement shaping the ad tech and video ecosystem.
BBC Tops YouTube in UK Reach; AI Hits Publishers
After Publicis advised clients to stop transacting on The Trade Desk following a fee audit that found the DSP had "improperly applied" its fee and auto-opted some clients into fee-based offerings, Omnicom said it will commission its own third-party audit. The Trade Desk denied the allegations but its stock fell about 18% after the disclosures. Competing adtech firms and mid-market TV platforms — including StackAdapt, Quantcast, Tatari and Illumin — have actively marketed to agencies and buyers in the wake of the controversy, emphasizing transparency and alternative buying models. Agencies Dentsu and WPP have also exited The Trade Desk’s OpenPath service. It remains unclear whether rivals will capture significant spend from The Trade Desk amid the audits and wider industry scrutiny over DSP fees and transparency.
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