Samba TV, a global leader in AI-powered media analytics, has unveiled its State of Viewership Report for H2 2024, analyzing 51 billion hours of linear and streaming TV consumption. The report highlights key trends, including the rise of ad-supported streaming, the impact of live events, and how AI is transforming contextual targeting in advertising.

Findings from the Report

1. Ad-Supported Streaming on the Rise

• Streaming hours increased 56% YoY, with linear TV also seeing an 8% boost due to major events like the Presidential Election, Olympics, and crime dramas.
• Netflix dominates multi-show consumption (72% of viewers), while other platforms struggle with audience retention.
• Ads drive engagement—viewers exposed to promos for top shows are 7x more likely to watch.
• Prime Video led ad impressions (+72%) following its ad-tier launch and exclusive sports deals (e.g., Thursday Night Football).
• 56% of new streaming subscriptions opted for ad-supported tiers, emphasizing the shift in consumer behavior.

2. Live Events & Politics Redefining Audience Engagement

• The Presidential debates outperformed NFL viewership by over 10 million households, proving politics can command Super Bowl-sized audiences.
• The Paris Olympics saw an 11% increase over Tokyo and 25% over Beijing, with women’s sports driving double-digit growth.
• Streamers bet on live sports—events like Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and NFL’s TNF drove record sign-ups for Netflix and Prime Video.
• NBC leveraged the Olympics to boost Peacock subscriptions, showing the power of live sports in driving platform growth.
• Political ads dominated TV, shaping voter sentiment, while Fox News led ratings in key swing states.

3. Targeting & Engagement: The New Battle in Advertising

• 150 ads per day hit half of TV households, but high-income viewers see 15 fewer ads daily, signaling inefficiencies in reaching affluent audiences.
• Top advertising sectors:
  • Entertainment (18%)
  • Pharma (12%)
  • Health & Beauty (11%)
  • Food & Beverage (9%)
• Insurance lags (4%), but Progressive leads in ad impressions.
• Retailers’ holiday ad wars: Macy’s, Kohl’s, and Walmart dominated, while others scaled back.
• Contextual targeting’s power:
  • Macy’s had the highest media impressions.
  • Walmart led in positive online conversations.
  • Amazon had the lowest positive and negative sentiment, showing mixed consumer perceptions.

Samba TV’s State of Viewership Report highlights AI-driven insights, live event dominance, and ad-supported streaming growth as key trends shaping TV and advertising in 2024. As the industry adapts to evolving viewership patterns, brands must leverage AI-powered targeting and live event engagement to maximize impact.

Fuel Cycle, the insights operating system for modern enterprises, has launched AI-powered tags, a breakthrough feature within its Research Engine. This innovation accelerates qualitative research by automating data cleaning, labeling, and analysis, reducing processing time from days to minutes. With AI-powered tags, businesses can extract deeper, more actionable insights at unprecedented efficiency.

Harness the Full Potential of Qualitative Insights

Qualitative research is essential for understanding customer motivations but has traditionally been time-intensive. Fuel Cycle's AI-powered tags address this challenge by:

• Automating data processing to enable faster insights.
• Eliminating the need for manual tagging, allowing research teams to focus on analysis.
• Providing an autonomous insights approach that enhances decision-making.

Capabilities of AI-Powered Tags

• Instant Data Labeling & 10x Efficiency Gains – Generates high-quality labeled datasets with one click, reducing analysis time and costs by 90%.
• Transparent, Data-Driven Insights – AI-generated summaries include citation tracking for confidence in decision-making.
• User-Controlled AI Tagging – Researchers can review, refine, and customize AI-generated tags for precision.
• Effortless Stakeholder Collaboration – AI-powered summaries and interactive reports ensure seamless knowledge sharing.

Fuel Cycle’s Vision for Autonomous Insights

Ken Reilly, AI Product Lead at Fuel Cycle, emphasized the significance of AI-powered tags:

"The qualitative research revolution is here. Our AI-powered tagging bridges the gap between the analytical rigor of unstructured data and the data-driven decision-making businesses need. By automating the time-consuming tasks of cleaning, labeling, and organizing data, teams can extract insights with greater speed, accuracy, and scalability."

Leverage the Power of Qual-at-Scale

This innovation enhances the research process by:

• Accelerating qualitative data processing.
• Expanding the depth and breadth of extracted insights.
• Freeing up researchers’ time for strategy and in-depth analysis.

A leading pharmaceutical enterprise in Fuel Cycle's beta program shared their experience:

"We analyze thousands of open-ended responses. AI-powered tags transformed weeks of manual tagging into an automated process that takes minutes. Plus, we can customize the tagging process to align with our research objectives—achieving both speed and accuracy."

Fuel Cycle’s AI-powered tags are redefining qualitative research by making it faster, more precise, and scalable. By automating tedious processes, businesses can now focus on deriving meaningful, customer-led insights that drive better decision-making.

Natterbox, a leader in AI-powered communication solutions, has launched Natterbox Digital, an innovative platform that brings voice, SMS, and WhatsApp into one seamless experience. This new solution, fully integrated into Salesforce, empowers businesses to deliver exceptional, personalized customer engagements across their preferred communication channels.

Features of Natterbox Digital

Natterbox Digital revolutionizes the way businesses interact with their customers, with the following key features:

• Unified Omnichannel Communication – Manage voice, SMS, and WhatsApp communications within Salesforce, offering agents a comprehensive 360-degree view of customer interactions.
• Triggered Outbound Messages – Automate messages like appointment reminders, order updates, and post-call follow-ups, ensuring customers stay informed and engaged.
• AI-Powered Digital Translation – Break down language barriers with real-time, accurate translations, ensuring seamless communication between agents and customers.
• Custom Message Templates – Utilize pre-approved message templates for compliant messaging on platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, simplifying communication.
• Unified Routing Policy Builder – Streamline the routing of inbound calls and digital messages to ensure customers are connected to the right agent with a customizable framework.

Revolutionizing Global Communication with WhatsApp

Natterbox Digital introduces enhanced WhatsApp capabilities, giving businesses access to over 2 billion users worldwide. This integration allows businesses to offer real-time communication through a secure, globally recognized channel that customers love.

CEO Insights

Jamie Cooper, Chief Product Officer at Natterbox, stated:

"Today's customers expect seamless interactions across every channel and want to select their preferred mode of communication. With Natterbox Digital, we are redefining the customer experience by unifying voice, SMS, and WhatsApp into one platform. Our AI-driven approach delivers the flexibility and personalization customers desire while empowering agents with the tools they need to deliver exceptional service."

Natterbox Digital is transforming customer engagement by unifying voice, SMS, and WhatsApp into a seamless communication platform within Salesforce. With enhanced features like automated messages, AI-powered translations, and WhatsApp capabilities, businesses can now provide personalized, efficient customer service that meets modern expectations.

Narrative I/O, a leader in data collaboration, has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Yahoo DSP. This integration allows businesses to activate their first-party data and enables data providers to monetize their data more efficiently within Yahoo's Demand-Side Platform (DSP). The integration facilitates privacy-centric omnichannel campaigns and enhances the overall data activation process.

Empowering Data Activation and Monetization

Through this partnership, Narrative I/O is transforming how users and data providers interact with data by:

• Accelerating Data Monetization – Data providers can now launch data products within Yahoo’s marketplace in weeks instead of months, reducing time to market.
• Future-proofed First-Party Data Activation – Users can send data segments directly to Yahoo advertisers, matching them against Yahoo ConnectID, a solution that overcomes signal loss.
• Efficient Data Segmentation – Narrative’s intuitive UI, AI tools, and APIs allow users to create sub-datasets tailored for specific market needs.
• Simplified Taxonomy Management – Users can easily create and manage taxonomies with dynamic, segment-level pricing to ensure accurate data offerings.
• Real-Time Updates – Taxonomies can be adjusted in real-time to meet evolving market demands without delays.
• Holistic Measurement – Yahoo DSP provides back measurement log files, allowing businesses to track campaign performance accurately.

CEO Insights

Tim Mahlman, CEO at Narrative I/O, explains:

"Our mission at Narrative is to help businesses unlock the full potential of their data. With the Yahoo DSP Connector, we are enabling users to activate and monetize their first-party data efficiently. By offering intuitive tools for data segmentation and seamless integration, we're transforming how businesses engage with the advertising ecosystem."

Yahoo’s Commitment to Advertisers

Giovanni Gardelli, VP of Ads Data Products at Yahoo DSP, added:

"Providing choice and control for Yahoo DSP advertisers is key to our vision. Our partnership with Narrative offers advertisers an efficient way to access premium data providers, enabling precise audience targeting and driving measurable results. Together, we’re creating new opportunities for success in today’s competitive digital advertising landscape."

Benefits for Users and Data Providers

Through the Narrative I/O and Yahoo DSP partnership, businesses and data providers gain the following advantages:

• Activate and Target First-Party Data – Advertisers can now leverage their first-party data segments for targeted display and video campaigns within Yahoo DSP.
• Customize Data Offerings – Tailor data products to meet specific advertiser needs, improving the effectiveness of campaigns.
• Optimize Revenue Streams – Implement dynamic, segment-level pricing to maximize revenue potential.
• Streamline Processes – Speed up integrations, eliminating traditional data syndication bottlenecks, and complete the process within a single day.

The Narrative I/O and Yahoo DSP partnership revolutionizes data activation and monetization, enabling businesses to efficiently use their first-party data for targeted campaigns while providing data providers with faster, scalable solutions to unlock new revenue streams.

Appy Pie, a leader in no-code technology, has launched its groundbreaking AI Generator, establishing itself as the leading AI content generation platform. This innovative solution enables businesses, marketers, and creators to generate AI-powered images, videos, and text with ease, making digital content creation faster, more efficient, and of professional-grade quality. Additionally, Appy Pie offers APIs for seamless integration, allowing users to embed AI-powered image, video, and text generation into their platforms and applications.

Features of Appy Pie's AI Generator

Appy Pie's AI Generator is designed to streamline content creation with the following advanced features:

• AI Image Generation – Instantly generate high-resolution, hyper-realistic visuals perfect for branding, digital marketing, and advertising.
• AI Video Generation – Transform text into dynamic, cinematic-quality videos with smooth transitions and scene compositions that engage audiences effectively.
• AI Text Generation – Automate the generation of SEO-optimized, high-quality text for blogs, social media posts, and marketing copy, saving time and improving output quality.

These AI-driven tools come with intuitive workflows, enabling users to create content at unparalleled speed and quality, setting a new standard for content generation.

CEO Insights

Abhinav Girdhar, CEO of Appy Pie, shared:

"With Appy Pie's AI Generator, we are redefining what's possible in AI-driven content creation. Our platform is designed to empower businesses and creators with the most advanced, accessible, and efficient tools to bring their ideas to life."

Appy Pie's AI Generator revolutionizes the digital content creation process. By offering powerful AI-driven tools for image, video, and text generation, it enables businesses and creators to produce high-quality content quickly and efficiently. With seamless integration options, Appy Pie is setting a new benchmark in AI-powered creativity.

Adjust, a leading measurement and analytics company, has released its annual Mobile App Trends report for 2025. The report reveals a strong recovery in the app economy following its 2022 dip, with global app installs increasing by 11% YoY and app sessions growing by 4% in 2024. The report, featuring expert insights from AppLovin, also delves into the role of AI in shaping the future of marketing operations and campaign performance measurement.

Trends Defining the Mobile App Landscape in 2025

• AI-Driven Personalization: According to Andrey Kazakov, CEO of Adjust, AI will play a pivotal role in the mobile landscape, enhancing consumer applications through high-quality, personalized user experiences. AI-driven automation in content production will redefine app marketing and user engagement.
• Cross-Platform and Mobile Web Integration: The trend of cross-platform product development will continue, with mobile web playing a critical role in enabling seamless transitions between native apps and mobile web experiences.

Privacy-First Tech and Consumer Trust

Despite global concerns over data privacy regulations, the adoption of privacy-first technologies is on the rise. AI and machine learning-powered analytics and real-time insights are speeding up decision-making and enhancing campaign efficiency. Furthermore, App Tracking Transparency (ATT) opt-in rates are steadily climbing, from 32% to 35% globally by Q1 2025. Notably, gaming apps are leading the way with a 39% opt-in rate, while e-commerce apps have seen a significant jump in opt-ins from 28% to 35%.

Global App Growth: Key Insights Across Regions and Verticals

• E-commerce: E-commerce apps saw remarkable growth in 2024, with installs up 17% YoY and sessions growing 13%. MENA emerged as a standout region, with installs increasing by 55%. LATAM also experienced strong growth, with installs rising by 27%.
• Gaming: The gaming app market is bouncing back, with hyper-casual games leading the charge. Gaming app installs grew by 4%, with hyper-casual games representing 27% of all installs.
• Banking & Crypto: Both banking and crypto apps saw impressive growth, with banking app installs up 33% and crypto app sessions increasing by 45%. This contributed to a 27% growth in total finance app installs.

The 2025 Mobile App Trends report highlights the continued growth and innovation within the mobile app industry, driven by AI-powered personalization, cross-platform integration, and privacy-first technologies. With e-commerce, gaming, and finance apps leading the charge, marketers must focus on creating seamless, omnichannel experiences to meet user needs in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Aspire North, in partnership with Experian Marketing Services (EMS), has unveiled the Aspire Data Network (ADN), a groundbreaking self-service audience intelligence platform. The platform provides Aspire North’s customers with direct access to Experian’s robust consumer marketing data, allowing agencies and marketers to create detailed consumer profiles, craft personalized campaigns, and achieve superior outcomes across omnichannel platforms.

Features of the Aspire Data Network

• Self-Service Design: The innovative self-service nature of ADN enables agencies of all sizes to independently access Experian’s premium consumer data, eliminating the need for intermediary vendors and ensuring greater efficiency and faster campaign deployment.
• Customizable Data Selections: Marketers can customize data selections based on their specific campaign goals, allowing for highly targeted audience segmentation and tailored marketing strategies.
• Omnichannel Targeting: ADN provides businesses with precision in targeting their audiences across multiple platforms, ensuring that campaigns are personalized and resonate with consumers, driving measurable results.

Quotes from the Leaders

• Jason Carlson, Executive Vice President at Aspire North, shared, “With Aspire Data Network, we’re putting the power of world-class consumer insights directly into the hands of agencies and marketers. This platform unlocks unparalleled flexibility and control, enabling businesses to build tailored campaigns that resonate with their audiences and drive measurable results.”
• Chris Feo, Chief Business Officer at Experian Marketing Services, added, “Our goal is to empower marketers with data-driven insights that fuel more impactful consumer engagements. Through our collaboration with Aspire North, we’re making it easier than ever for agencies and brands of all sizes to leverage robust consumer intelligence to create personalized campaigns that resonate at scale and drive measurable growth.”

Democratizing Data Access for Small to Mid-Sized Businesses

The Aspire Data Network is not only beneficial for large enterprises but also democratizes access to high-quality data, empowering small to mid-sized businesses to compete more effectively. By leveraging the same data-driven insights as larger companies, these businesses can enhance their marketing strategies and boost their visibility in the market.

With the launch of Aspire Data Network, Aspire North is empowering businesses with enhanced agility and access to premium consumer data. As marketing teams seek more control and data-driven personalization, ADN is poised to play a pivotal role in delivering targeted, personalized campaigns that drive ROI and measurable growth across industries.

Qsic, the leading in-store audio platform powered by GenAI audio and data intelligence, has announced the appointment of Marc Walkin as its new Vice President of Marketing. In this role, Walkin will be responsible for leading the company’s marketing strategy as it looks to expand its global presence, capitalizing on the growing adoption of its platform among top retailers across North America.

Driving Growth Through In-Store Retail Media

In-store retail media is rapidly emerging as a new and valuable revenue stream for retailers, and Qsic is poised to leverage this growth. By using audio as an advertising channel, Qsic is redefining the in-store experience, offering brands the opportunity to engage with consumers in more impactful ways.

• Matt Elsley, co-founder and CEO of Qsic, stated, “We have ambitious plans to expand into new markets, introduce new capabilities, and bring more awareness to the value of audio. Marc has the experience to execute them and help us capture this massive opportunity.”

Marc Walkin's Experience and Impact

Marc Walkin brings extensive expertise in retail media and brand marketing, having built and scaled several well-known retail and CPG brands such as Stop & Shop, PopCorners, Beech-Nut, and Staples. Before joining Qsic, he co-founded Turbyne, a retail media platform, and helped lead the company to a strategic acquisition by Colateral in 2024. His experience will be crucial in driving Qsic’s market impact and helping retailers connect with consumers through innovative audio solutions.

Walkin shared, “Qsic is fundamentally redefining the value of in-store audio in today’s retail media-driven landscape. The potential for in-store retail media is just beginning to be realized, and Qsic is at the forefront.”

Qsic's Expansion Plans and Growth

Qsic is experiencing tremendous growth. In January, the company announced it raised $25 million in Series B funding to accelerate its global expansion. With plans to double its workforce and roll out over 70,000 speakers across North America over the next year, Qsic is set to further solidify its position as a leader in in-store audio and retail media.

The appointment of Marc Walkin as Vice President of Marketing signals Qsic’s commitment to driving growth and expanding its reach in the retail media space. With Walkin's expertise and Qsic's innovative approach to in-store audio, the company is well-positioned to lead the next wave of in-store retail media and unlock new revenue streams for brands and retailers.