WBD, TF1, Mercado Libre: streaming ads +20%, TV ad sales fall

The ad market is starting to look like a three-body problem: streaming growth, linear decline, and event-driven spikes (sports + politics) — all colliding as deal rumors swirl around Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

Kate Scott-Dawkins hosts Jeff Foster and Nidhi Shah (WPP Media Business Intelligence) to break down Paramount and WBD earnings: Paramount+ up 17% with 78.9M subs, Pluto TV down 16% on monetization headwinds, and WBD streaming ad revenue up 20% (just over $1B) with 131.6M global streaming subscribers — plus the aftershock of losing NBA rights and the looming NFL renewal.

They also scan Europe’s pressure points (TF1, Atresmedia) as broadcasters raise streaming ad minutes and broaden advertiser access, then look at TelevisaUnivision (U.S. ad softness, tentpole demand, political and World Cup tailwinds).

Finally: Mercado Libre’s +67% ad growth and why shifting tariffs and de minimis rules are complicating 2026 planning.

00:00-Deal rumor backdrop, tariffs uncertainty, what’s on the docket
01:13-Paramount earnings: DTC growth, Pluto monetization slump, ad declines
07:07-Sports and NFL renewal: why local reach still matters
08:06-Warner Bros. Discovery: streaming ads +20%, subs 131.6M, NBA loss fallout
13:08-Europe: Atresmedia & TF1 declines, streaming monetization and ad-load strategy
16:30-TelevisaUnivision: US down, Mexico steadier, political + World Cup tailwinds
19:17-Mercado Libre +67% ads, retail media momentum, tariffs and de minimis “whack-a-mole”
23:37-Next week’s earnings and podcast recommendations

Post-recording update: WBD’s board deemed Paramount Skydance’s sweetened offer “superior” to the $83B Netflix deal; Netflix will not match and has withdrawn.

Advertising Intelligence Framework: https://www.wppmedia.com/thought-leadership/research-business-intelligence/advertising-intelligence-framework-first-edition?utm_source=media_intelligence&utm_medium=podcast