Five Trends Shaping Media in 2025
Welcome to the media jungle. It’s gnarlier than ever. New platforms and devices create twists and turns. Ever-evolving consumers roam freely, demanding personalized experiences and diverse content. Traditional advertising models struggle to keep pace. Yet, amid these struggles lie exciting opportunities for innovation and growth. To survive in this environment, we all need to adapt and innovate. Let’s take a closer look at five trends that will make the journey in 2025 exciting — and risky unless you’re prepared with the right strategy. In future articles, we will dive into these trends even more.
1. The Consumer Experience with Media is Changing
Consumers expect seamless transitions between platforms and channels, whether they are engaging with content on traditional broadcast TV or on digital platforms. They want a diverse and readily available content menu personalized to their tastes. Because no single media destination delivers everything they want, they’re comfortable skipping between platforms. The proliferation of devices and platforms challenges media to be adaptable and nimble.
Fragmentation and Complexity
The consumer journey is not only fragmented but also shaped by specific expectations tied to each device or channel. Connected TV (CTV) media are responding. For example, streaming businesses such as Hulu and Peacock have introduced ad-supported streaming tiers that cater to users expecting premium content at a lower cost, with ad breaks designed to mimic the feel of traditional TV. Meanwhile, on mobile devices, platforms like TikTok prioritize quick, snackable content paired with highly targeted ads, catering to lean-forward, short attention-span interactions. These contrasting user behaviors highlight the dual challenge media companies face: they must design user interfaces (UIs) and advertising strategies that align with these distinct expectations while maintaining a cohesive brand presence.
This complexity has intensified as CTV platforms such as Roku and Amazon Fire TV have become mainstream. A CTV user may tolerate fewer ads if they feel the experience is premium, while mobile users often prefer interactive ads that are brief and skippable. Roku’s OneView and Amazon Ads have invested in cross-platform tools to help advertisers balance these nuances by delivering unified yet adaptable campaigns. For media companies, the pressure lies in innovating with personalization features that not only recommend the right content but also ensure a seamless transition across devices—a task requiring sophisticated data integration and cross-platform orchestration.
Successful media businesses will need to embrace platform-agnostic strategies, focusing on creating ecosystems where content, ads, and user experience feel interconnected but are optimized for each touchpoint.
The complexity escalates further with the rise of linear streaming, where live events like sports are streamed alongside traditional linear TV broadcasts. For example, consider a live sports event available on both a cable channel and a streaming service like Peacock. Currently, most broadcasters simply simulcast the linear feed, missing the opportunity to capitalize on digital’s full potential. Linear streaming, however, offers a chance to personalize ad delivery, gather viewer data, and create interactive experiences. This demands a hybrid approach, blending the strengths of linear TV (like premium ad spots) with digital’s flexibility and targeting capabilities. As such, we expect linear streaming to be a major focus in 2025 and beyond, requiring media companies to adopt new strategies and technologies to manage this evolving landscape.
To navigate these shifts, successful media businesses will need to embrace platform-agnostic strategies, focusing on creating ecosystems where content, ads, and user experience feel interconnected but are optimized for each touchpoint. Companies that can deliver on these varied expectations while maintaining a seamless user experience will enjoy an advantage.
2. Measurement and ROI Are in a State of Flux
As traditional media consumption shifts away from broadcast and cable to CTV, it’s becoming more challenging for media companies to manage and measure increasingly complex campaigns. The need for more precise and comprehensive measurement systems has led to the rise of alternative currencies. Media companies now operate in a multi-currency environment, where different types of data (e.g., first-party data, third-party data) are used across various platforms like digital, linear TV, and retail media networks. This complexity requires media companies to adopt systems that can handle multiple currencies efficiently.
The key is to unify data from various sources to improve return on investment. By using first-party data and integrating it into a unified system, media companies can achieve better targeting and closed-loop attribution and forecasting. This means they can track ad exposure all the way to purchase behavior, providing a clearer picture of campaign effectiveness.
Aligning Measurement and Attribution
It’s impossible to overstate measurement’s impact on revenue. For brands and media companies to maximize campaign success, they must operate in lockstep on how performance is measured. Without alignment, a disconnect can occur between the metrics brands prioritize—such as incremental sales or brand lift—and the data media platforms deliver, such as impressions or reach. Media companies want to best serve clients’ needs for real-time attribution data. But misalignment in currency tools turn the concept of real-time attribution data into a pipe dream. This misalignment risks undervaluing campaign impact and missing opportunities to optimize in real time. In a multi-currency ecosystem, the stakes are even higher. Media companies must ensure that the various data sets they use to demonstrate ROI are not only accurate but also resonate with advertiser goals.
Additionally, the complexity of the fragmented media landscape demands sophisticated systems that can manage and interpret varied currencies. For example, traditional GRP-based measurement is still vital for linear TV, but digital and streaming platforms often require more impression-based metrics, including frequency and completion rates. Retail media networks add another layer, focusing heavily on sales attribution. Success depends on the ability to synthesize all the data into a unified narrative that demonstrates tangible business outcomes.
To meet these challenges, media companies are turning to advanced analytics platforms that integrate first- and third-party data, which helps them deliver insights that are both actionable and aligned with advertiser priorities. These platforms not only improve transparency but also build trust. This ensures that advertisers feel confident in the value of their investment. As measurement continues to evolve, media companies that prioritize alignment with their advertising partners will be better positioned to drive revenue growth in 2025.
3. Who Will Win the War to Monetize Content?
Media are challenged to apply technology, data, and advertising formats to meet the demands of a fragmented and rapidly evolving media landscape. No single solution exists, but media can succeed by balancing several approaches, such as leaning into programmatic advertising and first-party data as tools for monetization.
Disney’s recent success in balancing subscription pricing and advertising revenue is a case study for how media companies can thrive in a fragmented landscape. As Disney reported in its fiscal fourth quarter, the company’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming business—which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+—achieved $321 million in operating income, a turnaround from the $387 million loss reported in the same period the previous year. This profitability highlights the effectiveness of Disney’s multi-pronged strategy, which combines ad-supported subscription tiers, strategic pricing adjustments, and premium content offerings. Notably, 60% of new Disney+ subscribers opted for the ad-supported tier, showcasing how consumers are increasingly open to trade-offs between cost and advertising exposure.
Shoppable Ads Create Opportunity
The integration of shoppable ads into streaming platforms adds another layer of opportunity, allowing media companies to directly connect content and commerce. For instance, Amazon uses shoppable ads on Prime Video, which allows users to add products to their Amazon carts using their smart TV remote during commercial breaks. This includes formats like shoppable carousel ads, interactive pause ads, and interactive brand trivia ads, which make it easy for viewers to shop without leaving the streaming experience
For media companies to thrive in this evolving landscape, they must emulate successes like Amazon’s and Disney’s while continuously experimenting with new business models and advertising formats. Combining subscription models with ad-supported tiers, integrating shoppable content, and applying first-party data for hyper-targeted campaigns are essential tactics for staying competitive. Companies that find the right balance between monetization and user experience will be best positioned to drive sustainable growth in 2025 and beyond.
4. The Media Landscape Is Constantly Changing
The media landscape is becoming increasingly complex, driven by the rise of retail media networks (RMNs), the growing demand for local advertising, and other converging forces. RMNs are transforming how advertisers engage with consumers by applying first-party data to deliver highly targeted campaigns across digital and physical platforms. These networks, such as Amazon Advertising and Walmart Connect, offer advertisers access to conversion-ready shoppers through personalized promotions and curated product suggestions. However, the rapid growth of RMNs has introduced challenges like fragmentation, lack of standardization, and limited interoperability between platforms. For example, many advertisers now work with multiple RMNs—sometimes four or more—making it difficult to manage campaigns effectively and measure performance across disparate systems.
Retail Media Networks and Local Advertising
This fragmentation is compounded by the need for advanced technology to handle the complexity of RMN operations. Many networks still rely on outdated or siloed AdTech platforms that struggle to integrate data from various sources or streamline ad sales processes. As a result, advertisers face significant hurdles in achieving transparency, capturing full attribution data, and optimizing return on ad spend (ROAS). For instance, Home Depot’s Orange Apron Media has addressed this challenge by using its RMN to integrate CTV and streaming platforms into its advertising mix, which gives brands actionable insights and improved targeting capabilities. This demonstrates how RMNs can overcome operational inefficiencies through advanced tools and data-driven strategies.
At the same time, the demand for local advertising is surging as small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) seek to connect with nearby audiences. Platforms like local terrestrial radio and hyperlocal digital out-of-home (DOOH) networks have capitalized on this trend, offering SMBs ways to reach consumers in their communities. However, local advertising introduces its own complexities, such as managing granular geographic targeting and balancing scale with relevance. The rise of AI-driven tools and programmatic solutions has helped address some of these challenges by enabling precise audience segmentation and automated ad placements tailored to specific locales.
Successful media will develop a culture of continuous learning and cross-departmental collaboration.
Beyond RMNs and local advertising, other factors are reshaping the media landscape. The (potential?) deprecation of third-party cookies has heightened the importance of first-party data. This, along with increased expectations and regulations to limit the sharing of user data, is pushing media companies to invest in privacy-safe clean rooms and interoperable ecosystems that unify campaign management, ad delivery, and measurement across channels. Additionally, new opportunities with immersive formats like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and interactive video content are further complicating how advertisers engage audiences.
To thrive in this environment, media companies must adopt flexible strategies that balance innovation with operational efficiency.
5. Media Need to Constantly Learn and Adapt
A willingness to learn continuously will separate leaders from followers in the media jungle. For example, as media companies increasingly turn content into shoppable experiences, sales teams must be equipped to sell these hybrid content-commerce packages effectively. This shift also calls for investments in technologies that enable seamless transactions within content ecosystems. For instance, NBCUniversal’s “Checkout” feature within its streaming and broadcast properties allows viewers to purchase products directly, blending storytelling and eCommerce. For this strategy to succeed, teams across creative, sales, and operations need to align on the technical and strategic requirements.
Programmatic advertising is another area where adaptability and constant learning are crucial. With programmatic now central to monetization strategies, teams must master complex tools like AI-driven yield optimization platforms and first-party data strategies to remain competitive. Disney Advertising, for example, has introduced an ad-tech suite to optimize inventory across its digital and streaming properties, using advanced data analytics to maximize yield and deliver a more personalized experience for advertisers. This level of sophistication requires teams to understand not just the tools themselves but also how to interpret the data these tools generate and apply it to decision-making in real time.
The rise of first-party data as a cornerstone of advertising strategy further underscores the need for media to be adaptable. For example, over the past few years, The New York Times has built several proprietary first-party audience segments for clients to target ads as a way of applying first-party data more effectively. This kind of shift requires cross-functional collaboration, as teams must navigate new privacy regulations, implement data collection mechanisms, and develop innovative ways to monetize audience insights.
Successful media will develop a culture of continuous learning and cross-departmental collaboration. By investing in people, processes, and technology, media companies can position themselves to thrive in a landscape that rewards agility and data-driven innovation.
Operative Can Help
Media platforms in particular face a critical juncture as they navigate the complex trends shaping the media jungle. Operative’s suite of products and services is specifically designed to help media companies in this environment.
Operative’s AOS platform provides a comprehensive solution for managing advertising operations across linear, digital, and streaming channels. With AOS, media companies can streamline their workflows, optimize inventory, and gain a holistic view of their business. This unified approach enables them to adapt quickly to market changes, maximize revenue generation, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.
Operative’s expertise in first-party data strategies and measurement solutions also helps media platforms apply audience insights effectively. With first-party data, media platforms can create targeted campaigns, improve customer engagement, and drive business growth. By partnering with Operative, you can navigate the challenges ahead with confidence and unlock their full potential in the future of media.