Global Scans · Media & Entertainment · Weekly Summary

• [New] Monetization through connected commerce and entertainment services will remain a key factor sustaining growth beyond 2030. Persistence Market Research
• [New] AI will continue transforming social media over the next several years. Tanglevo
• [New] Brands investing in spatial content and immersive ad formats in 2026 are positioning for first-mover advantage in a medium that, if it reaches mainstream adoption, will fundamentally disrupt how social media marketing is defined. Inno Panda
• [New] The combination of neutral and negative sentiments in BRICS country media can be understood as reflecting a dilemma between the need to expand the Global South coalition and an awareness of the risks of asymmetric dependency, particularly on China and Russia. Frontiers
• [New] As commerce media continues to experience explosive growth, with ad spend forecast to exceed $150 billion across the US and Europe, marketers face increasing pressure to prove that their investments are delivering meaningful business outcomes. IAB
• [New] Social media and at-home cafe experiences are already reshaping Gen Z hot drinks habits, while Chinese coffee and tea chains are emerging as a potentially disruptive force internationally as they scale value-led and format-driven offers. Euromonitor
• [New] British Jews are facing their greatest ever threat, and blamed social media for making antisemitism more mainstream. wdio.com
• [New] The Federal Trade Commission has warned about voice cloning scams and misuse of synthetic media. ProAICraft
• [New] Although the first Micro RGB televisions (also referred to as RGB Mini-LED, True RGB, or RGB LED by some manufacturers) showed up in 2025, 2026 is said to be the year that Micro RGB TVs will finally take over your home's entertainment setup. BGR
• [New] Several 2028 Democratic presidential candidates utilized social media to critique administration policies and highlight state-level initiatives. / USA Daily Trump Report
• [New] Meta, NVIDIA / Pile litigation, Apple's warning that broad copyright theories could destabilise academic AI research, the Stanford / EVOX dataset-debt dispute, and hundreds of media outlets blocking Internet Archive crawlers over AI training concerns. Pascal's Substack
• [New] In media and entertainment, Netflix has delayed Greta Gerwig's Narnia film for a 2027 theatrical release, signaling a shift toward traditional cinema experiences. Coaio Limited
• Global retail media spending is projected to climb from $184 billion in 2025 to $312 billion by 2030. Beet.TV
• Importance for marketers: OpenAI's advertising expansion could fundamentally reshape search marketing, conversational commerce, performance media buying, and AI-driven customer acquisition. MarketingProfs
• If all goes as intended come June, the conglomerate that now owns a rocket manufacturer, a social media app, and an AI chatbot developer will instantly rank among the world's top 10 largest publicly-traded companies. Wired
• In 2028, brands will spend $16.1 billion to amplify creator content on social media (excluding YouTube), surpassing their spending with creators to produce sponsored content ($15.71 billion). / USA Business Insider
• Kinetiq Political Insights projects $10.4 billion in total U.S. political media spending during the 2026 cycle, with a potential range of spending that could top out at $11.8 billion. Insideradio.com
• Retail Media Networks continue to be one of the fastest-growing revenue streams for retailers; however, by 2026, they will look very different from the early sponsored product days. commercetools
• Retail media networks are projected to account for 15.4% of all ad revenue by 2028, eclipsing television. Indepth Research Institute
• US advertisers will spend $71.98 billion on retail media in 2026, up 18.7% from 2025. eMarketer
• Retail media is accelerating (eMarketer expects ~ $5 billion of incremental spend to flow into retail media search in 2026) - set clear ROAS and incrementality targets by network to avoid fragmentation. / USA AI Digital
• Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative has spurred investments in entertainment and hospitality infrastructure, including world-class resorts with expansive pool facilities. Market Data Forecast

Last updated: 25 May 2026