With the World Cup around the corner, media buyers expect streaming prices to soar

April 13, 2026 Presented by Forecasts suggest that late-stage bids for World Cup inventory could see marketers pay a steep premium. But alternatives exist. Advertisement TOP STORY Marketing in Sports With the World Cup around the corner, media buyers expect streaming prices to soar Forecasts suggest that late-stage bids for World Cup inventory could see marketers pay a steep premium. But alternatives exist. OTHER THINGS TO KNOW Join us at the Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit, May 6–8 in Palm Springs, to connect directly with programmatic leaders from Canvas, Epsilon, Mindgruve, Bayer and more. Combining CTV with purchase data allows marketers to optimize for business outcomes instead of viewership, particularly as streaming platforms introduce more shoppable formats. Partner insights from Circana. Rather than add another interface for sellers and agencies to work with, Hector Ai brought Amazon advertising intelligence to where customers were already working for a more natural agent-driven workflow. Partner insights from Amazon Ads. A MESSAGE FROM PEBBLEPOST CTV advertising that proves incremental impact Most CTV measurement is built on assumed attribution, not actual proof. PebblePost Performance CTV uses collaborative first-party transaction data from hundreds of leading brands to predict who will buy next, then closes the loop with verified incremental lift. On average, brands see 9x incremental ROAS for acquisition, 10.5x iROAS for retention and 41% conversion rate lift — the kind of numbers that win budget reviews. Learn more MARKETING Managing Through Crisis 'Fear of believing you're irrelevant': Economic headwinds, global tensions won't keep marketers from Cannes Lions Marketers plan to once again flock to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity despite soaring costs and global turbulence. The Creator Economy Creator scandals have turned morality clauses into brands’ go-to exit strategy The fine print in creator contracts has never mattered more. A succession of high-profile creator scandals is putting morality clauses at the center of how brands manage risk. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM HELIUM 10 The multichannel growth playbook — a virtual event In a virtual event on April 14, Helium 10’s Bradley Sutton, vp of education and strategy, and Shivali Patel, senior brand evangelist, unpack how brands expand into TikTok Shop and Walmart without breaking operations. Generative AI In Graphic Detail: New data shows publishers face growing AI bot, third-party scraper activity New data shows publishers face a surge in AI bots and third-party scrapers harvesting content without compensation. Advertisement PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM OPTABLE Amid programmatic’s signal degradation, agentic advertising offers a viable solution Before the term signal loss gained popularity, media owners and their advertising partners grew accustomed to hacking the programmatic auction to increase the value of their inventory, but this never solved the root issue. MEDIA & PLATFORMS The Creator Economy ‘I’m playing the long game’: Journalists are striking out alone and discovering the business is toughest beat of all News Creators have become preferred sources for younger viewers, but how do they grow and sustain their independent endeavors? PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM PATHLABS Human-led service is an AI differentiator for agencies As AI increases the bar for speed and responsiveness, the best people spend more time coordinating than doing the work only humans can do. Tools meant to simplify can end up costing agencies time, confidence and eventually, accounts Generative AI Why Pfizer and other blue-chip brands are building internal AI search hubs to reclaim control As AI upends traditional rankings, big spenders like Pfizer and other blue-chip brands are building internal task forces. DIGIDAY+ Member exclusive Media Buying Briefing: What buyers got out of the NewFronts and expect to happen in the upfronts As the Newfronts try to show off better tools, content and measurement, the broader upfront market is trying to stay the course in the face of economic uncertainty. Written by Jim Cooper and Sara Jerde Were you forwarded this email? Sign up to get it daily. Advertise | Digiday+ | Events | Awards Update your email | Unsubscribe | Privacy policy