"What's going on? For one thing, the fact that economic signals are just short of haywire means no advertiser, much less their media agency, can set a clear-cut path forward. Between up-and-down tariffs, the longest U.S. federal government shutdown in history (just concluded but the impact is still being felt) and lingering inflationary worries, things are about as clear as concrete."
"That reality has led to reports of some publishers and sellers offering incentives to land more business (and hit 2025 sales goals), including beta-testing opportunities (more on that later). And if historical precedent is to be believed, the instability impacting the market today could easily usher in a Q1 2026 that's softer than the momentum needed to make the year a winner for brands, for publishers and for agencies."
""It's not a soft market - I just got two significant budgets handed to me for the rest of Q4," said one veteran buyer at a multi-agency group. "But it's definitely softer than how it started." The buyer, who spoke with Digiday on condition of anonymity, said part of the softness is that some of the bigger-spending advertisers put down a larger share of dollars into upfront commitments because of favorable rates, leaving fewer dollars to spend in scatter."
Q4 advertising activity is uneven, with some buyers reporting reduced spend across categories while others see steady or increased budgets. Economic uncertainty from tariffs, a prolonged federal shutdown, and inflationary concerns is preventing clear media-planning decisions. Some publishers and sellers are offering incentives and beta-testing opportunities to secure business and meet 2025 sales targets. Larger advertisers moving more dollars into upfront commitments have reduced scatter spend, straining connected-TV inventory. Historical patterns indicate that current instability could translate into a softer Q1 2026, with impacts varying by channel and by where clients sit in the purchase funnel.
Read at Digiday
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