TL;DR

In a hurry? Here's our pick of the top news items of the week.

ByteDance is exploring alternatives to selling TikTok's US operations, including potential local control changes, as the company negotiates with Trump's team. (Bloomberg)
Meta will exempt paid ads from its new "Community Notes" content moderation system, protecting its advertising revenue while raising brand safety concerns among marketers. (MediaPost)
Google awaits verdict in its ad tech antitrust trial, with the DOJ pushing for divestiture of tools like AdX and Google Ad Manager, while industry remains split on whether changes would impact the market. (DigiDay)
In 2025, 71% of marketers will increase their CTV advertising budgets, with 53% shifting spend away from social media as they seek better ROI measurement and performance tracking. (Performance Marketing World)
OpenAI launches "Operator," an AI agent tool for web-based tasks, partnering with major brands like eBay, Etsy, and Target to help users complete online transactions automatically. (DigiDay)

Audiences

YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video achieved record-high viewing during the 2024 holiday season, with streaming services commanding 43.3% of all US TV viewing. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Most streaming subscribers avoid ads, with 61% of Netflix users and over half of Disney+ and Max subscribers choosing ad-free tiers, while broadcast TV still reaches 91% of all streamers. (TV Technology)
Netflix's Squid Game season 2 achieved 2024's highest streaming premiere with 4.92B viewing minutes in its first week (Dec. 23-29), marking the best performance for any streaming title since 2022. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Brands are increasingly targeting Gen Alpha through Roblox integrations, reaching the 65% of Gen Alpha kids who use the platform through experiential marketing rather than traditional advertising.(Marketing Brew)
YouTube dominates Gen Alpha's digital consumption and will surpass linear TV viewership among US children by 2026, while platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Roblox gain traction as the generation gets their first smartphones. (Emarketer)

A 12-hour US TikTok ban sparked the "Commonwealth Tok" movement, giving creators from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK increased visibility and challenging the platform's US-centric algorithm. (Campaign Brief)
Bluesky is set to launch Flashes, a photo-sharing app that will function as a simplified alternative to Instagram, focusing solely on photos and short videos. (Nerdist)
TikTok's timeline of the US ban saga from 2020 to its dramatic shutdown in January 2025 is now paused by Trump's 75-day delay. (The Marketing Dive)
Even with Meta's moderation changes, X's transformation, and TikTok's potential US ban, major social platforms are unlikely to lose significant user bases to alternatives like Bluesky. (Social Media Today)
Snapchat introduces "Challenge Tags" offering monthly cash prizes for AR developers, while also launching student pricing for AR Spectacles to encourage educational engagement with AR. (Social Media Today)

Streaming platforms are pivoting to shorter web series formats to compete with social media shorts, as India's premium VoD category reached $1.04B in the first half of 2024. (Exchange4Media)
Director Brady Corbet has defended The Brutalist against AI backlash, clarifying that AI technology was only used to refine Hungarian pronunciations in post-production and not the performances. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Netflix leads streaming platforms at the 2025 Oscars with 18 nominations, primarily driven by Spanish-language musical "Emilia Pérez" which received 13 nods. (AdWeek)
Netflix surpasses 300M subscribers in Q4 2024 and announces price increases, including its ad-supported tier, while reporting strong growth in ad-tier signups and success with live sports. (Marketing Brew)

Consumer spending on mobile apps reached $150B in 2024, with generative AI apps showing explosive 200% growth to $1.1B, driven by platforms like ChatGPT and Google Gemini. (The Marketing Dive)
Google's Gemini is leading the AI assistant race through widespread distribution, particularly via Samsung phones replacing Bixby, while competitors like Alexa and Siri lag behind in capabilities. (The Verge)
Apple launches Advanced Commerce API to support expanded in-app purchase formats for content catalogs, creator experiences, and subscription add-ons. (TechCrunch)
Generative AI has become marketers' most critical technology trend in 2025, while social media spending is set to increase for 68% of marketers despite platform uncertainties. (Marketing Brew)

ISE 2025 will debut a 1,000-square-metre Esports Arena featuring live tournaments, professional gameplay, and technical showcases. (blooloop)
California wildfires have forced temporary closures of major attractions, with Six Flags Magic Mountain closing January 24, while Universal Studios Hollywood and Warner Bros. Studio Tour have reopened. (Attractions Magazine)
Key attraction industry trends for 2025 span from gaming brand expansions and AI integration to sustainable innovations, with a focus on immersive experiences, family-friendly offerings, and accessibility. (blooloop)
Five UK Sea Life aquariums will host "Animal Crossing: New Horizons"-themed tours throughout 2025, featuring character meet-and-greets and interactive exhibits. (Attractions Magazine)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art launches Art Links, its first blockchain-powered mobile game, allowing players to discover artworks while earning NFT badges and real-world rewards through challenges. (blooloop)

Rome has been named the world's top food destination in Tripadvisor's 2025 Travelers' Choice Awards, with the city expecting to draw 35M visitors during its Jubilee year. (Travel + Leisure)
Bird flu outbreak has doubled egg prices in the past year, prompting Georgia, the nation's largest poultry producer, to suspend all poultry activities. (Restaurant Business)
U.S. hotel construction hit a historic peak in Q4 2024 with 6.4K projects in the pipeline, marking a 7% YoY increase and setting the stage for 730 new U.S. hotels to open in 2025. (Lodging Econometrics)
Global tourism rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2024 with 1.4B international tourist arrivals, while tourism receipts reached a record $1.9T. (UN Tourism)
Thailand becomes Southeast Asia's first country to legalize same-sex marriage on January 23, 2025, positioning itself for a tourism boom. (KarryOn)

Nvidia's RTX 5090 launches January 30th, featuring new DLSS 4 technology that delivers up to 8x frame rate increases, though its 28% raw performance gain raises some concerns. (The Verge)
Survey shows record 80% of game developers are now working on PC titles (up from 66% last year), coinciding with Steam's record 18,974 game releases in 2024. (Ars Technica)
Xbox Developer Direct 2025 revealed four major titles: DOOM: The Dark Ages (May 2025), South of Midnight (April 8), Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (April 24), and the surprise announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4 (Fall 2025). (IGN)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Squid Game event has been extended from January 24 to January 28, allowing players more time to earn rewards and play themed modes. (GameRant)
Pocketpair, developer of Palworld, makes its publishing debut by partnering with struggling indie developer Surgent Studios on a new horror game, marking a positive turn for Surgent. (PC Gamer)