Media

The Interactive Advertising Bureau raised its full-year 2026 U.S. ad-spend growth forecast to 12.3%, up 2.8 percentage points from its January estimate of 9.5%, based on a stronger-than-expected first half and survey data from over 200 brand and agency buyers. Social media and connected TV posted the largest upward revisions, while adapting to AI-driven consumer discovery emerged as the top buyer challenge, cited by 44% of respondents. Separately, 86% of buyers said they had changed or expected to change how they measure media performance within 12 months due to conversational AI tools, a shift IAB flagged as a significant constraint on AI adoption.

Amazon MGM Studios and Mediaset España finalized a multi-year output agreement on September 10, 2026, licensing feature films across Mediaset's free-to-air channels and streaming services Mediaset Infinity and Infinity+. The deal is the first of this specific broadcaster film-rights type announced since Amazon closed its MGM acquisition in March 2022, though Amazon MGM had existing third-party licensing operations and a separate theatrical distribution arrangement with Warner Bros. Key terms including territory, exclusivity, exact duration, and financial figures were not disclosed.