Media & Entertainment: The shifting tides and familiar currents of the Media industry

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Media & Entertainment: The shifting tides and familiar currents of the Media industry

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Media & Entertainment

The shifting tides and familiar currents of

the Media industry

Industry Overview

Stable ad trends but potential macro concern for 2H 11 June 2026

In the midst of the Upfront Advertising market, the tone appears relatively stable. As Equity

always, certain categories are weaker than others, but there are marketer concerns United States

beginning to take shape, mainly related to geopolitical tension and inflation/higher oil Media & Entertainment

prices. The Upfront remains an important planning tool, while dollars continue to Jessica Reif Ehrlich

concentrate on live events, sports, streaming, and other formats that combine scale with Research Analyst

measurable outcomes. Meanwhile, AI is already improving workflow, targeting, and BofAS+1 646 855 2921

measurement, even if the cost-saving opportunity is still early. One of the fastest jessica.reif@bofa.com

growing parts of the market is commerce media, with ad dollars flowing toward Peter Henderson

Research Analyst

environments with clear, closed-loop measurement and more certain return on spend, BofAS

often expanding the pool of advertisers rather than simply reallocating budgets from one +1 646 855 4564

peter2.henderson@bofa.com

channel to another. Advertising is increasingly being viewed as an investment vehicle

Brent Navon, CFA

tied to performance and outcomes, but better measurement, standardization, and Research Analyst

responsible use of automation remain key industry focuses. BofAS +1 646 855 3827

brent.navon@bofa.com

Strong demand for sports opens up the playbook David Plaus

Demand for live sports remains robust, as live programming continues to deliver large, Research Analyst BofAS