Overall the 2026 forecasts confirm the diversification priorities we reviewed in the Advertising Town Hall, and it’s worth nothing they also align with Reuters Institute’s Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions for 2026.

1. Video is increasingly not optional

Digital video is where advertiser budgets are moving. Publishers without meaningful video capabilities face structural disadvantage, which will become imperative to offset continuing print and traditional display declines.

We continue to maintain that this means developing strategies for short-form vertical video to enable advertisers to run the social video creative they’re already producing in publisher-owned environments.

2. Prioritise branded content and events, if possible

These are the growth categories publishers can control directly. Both leverage editorial expertise and audience trust platforms cannot replicate and both command premium pricing.

Publishers that have invested in scalable content studios and efficient event operations are best positioned, and publishers with video capabilities could also explore creator partnerships as an extension of branded content programmes. 

3. Build data strategy and infrastructure

The platforms dominating growth share common characteristics, such as rich first-party data and closed-loop measurement. Publishers without data strategies risk commoditisation of inventory.

Differentiated audience data becomes increasingly essential for demonstrating value to advertisers and surfacing inventory effectively, as agentic infrastructure evolves.

4. Strengthen direct audience and direct advertiser relationships

Madison & Wall notes direct relationships between advertisers and large media owners continue to expand.

Publishers with strong direct-sold capabilities are better positioned than those dependent on programmatic intermediaries.

5. Develop and position owned audience channels

As platform-mediated traffic becomes less reliable, newsletters, apps, and other owned channels become more valuable and should be positioned as such in advertiser conversations. Publishers can also explore licensing opportunities, as content deals can monetise editorial assets even when traffic doesn’t flow directly.

6. Focus on quality and premium over commodity

In a market where Big Tech captures most incremental growth, competing on scale is increasingly difficult. The winning strategy for most publishers is premium: differentiated audiences (including “super users”), quality environments, and formats that deliver measurable outcomes, and as we’ve previously discussed, this is increasingly true even in programmatic.

Looking ahead

In conclusion, the advertising market entering 2026 is healthy overall but increasingly concentrated. For publishers, there are bright spots, providing publishers can build the capabilities to capture their fair share of it. Video is growing rapidly, brand budgets may be shifting back toward quality environments, branded content and events remain significant revenue streams, and improvements in brand safety and measurement are helping premium publishers compete.

But the threats are equally real, as platform concentration and the continued decline of traditional formats create structural headwinds that won’t reverse. The publishers best positioned for 2026 are those treating this as a moment of transition rather than a crisis to be managed.  

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Banner photo by Adobe Stock By Vancouver.

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