Marisa Jones

The news: Entertainment app session lengths in Q1 2026 reached a high between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026, while music and audio engagement declined, according to our industry KPI data provided by Airship. Entertainment apps—which include video streaming, sports, and content-driven experiences—rebounded to a period-high of 3.80 minutes in Q1 2026, up from 3.78 minutes in Q1 2025 and 2.97 minutes in Q3 2025. Music and audio had an opposite trajectory.

The news: The Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) is urging Nielsen to provide a more accurate picture of total ad-supported TV viewing, according to a TVB email cited by The Desk. A TVB representative said Nielsen’s Ad-Supported Gauge product is “missing key context” needed to understand today’s viewing landscape. TVB, which represents the broadcast TV industry, argues that Nielsen’s estimate of streaming’s share of ad-supported viewing—46.6% in Q1—is overstated.

The news: Consumer search habits are restructuring in the age of AI as buying habits and discovery shift toward chatbot environments, according to a Fractl survey of over 1,000 US consumers shared exclusively with EMARKETER. Nearly one in five consumers (18%) stated they have made a purchase based on AI recommendations without verifying the product through search first. This behavior is especially prevalent among younger consumers.