The global advertising industry is ending the year in expansion mode, but power and growth are concentrating in fewer, more data‑rich hands. Digital now accounts for roughly 72 percent of total ad spend, after digital revenues grew 21 percent year over year in the latest reported quarter, while total advertising revenue rose about 13 percent, the fastest pace since early 2022.[3]

Over the past week, new deals and partnerships have underscored this consolidation. Analysts report that ad related mergers and acquisitions in the first half of this year were up about 50 percent versus the same period a year earlier, with platforms like Disney, DAZN, and Pinterest all striking major media and connected TV advertising deals.[2] Just in recent days, WPP Media expanded its partnership with Google to gain access to non public YouTube creator and video data, aiming to reduce fragmentation in the creator economy and give brands more precise, scalable influencer campaigns.[6]

AI continues to reshape product offerings and strategy. Google Ads’ 2025 year in review highlights more than 60 AI powered improvements that helped drive a reported 26 percent increase in conversions per dollar for its Demand Gen campaigns.[1] Agencies and holding companies are responding by prioritizing outcome based buying and tighter supply path optimization, as seen in Google Ad Manager’s new smart packages and Buyer Direct tools that build deals around performance metrics such as viewability and click through rate instead of just impressions.[4]

Consumer behavior is shifting toward digital video, creator content, and commerce media. Industry forecasts for the coming year show almost half of marketers planning to increase media spend, with digital video and connected TV among the biggest winners.[3] U.S. creator economy ad spend alone is projected to reach 37 billion dollars in 2025, a 26 percent increase year over year, reflecting advertisers’ growing adoption of social first and creator led strategies.[6]

Compared with earlier in the decade, when spend was more evenly distributed and manual optimization was common, the current environment is marked by rapid AI automation, higher creator and commerce budgets, and more negotiating leverage for large platforms that control premium inventory and first party data.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI