Media Monitor spends plenty of time talking about how much advertisers spend.

This week, Kelly Sweeney and Sean Wright flip to the other side of the equation: what are advertisers actually paying?

Using Guideline’s Q2 digital ad pricing data, Sean compares CPM trends across the U.S., UK, and Canada and finds something surprising.

Historically, digital advertising prices across all three markets have been remarkably similar.

Going back to 2024, the difference between the highest and lowest markets could be as little as roughly 40 cents after currency conversion.

In 2026, that gap has started to widen.

Canada has become relatively more expensive, while pricing in the UK and U.S. has moved lower. Sean points to one major reason: streaming inventory.

As more ad-supported streaming platforms and video inventory enter the U.S. and UK markets, supply is growing faster than demand. Basic economics then starts to take over, putting downward pressure on CPMs.

Canada has less ad-supported streaming inventory available, helping video pricing maintain more of a premium.

But geography is only part of the story.

Different advertiser categories are changing what they buy.

Pharma CPMs are up almost 125% year over year, reflecting the category’s preference for longer and more expensive inventory.

Travel is up roughly 55%, driven in part by a shift from channels such as display and Instagram toward higher-priced streaming video.

At the other end, quick-service restaurants are moving toward cheaper inventory as they face pressure to reach consumers more efficiently. Household supplies show a similar pattern, with blended CPMs down roughly 21%.

Kelly and Sean also examine individual platforms.

Social pricing has remained relatively stable, with TikTok’s lower CPMs helping keep pressure on the broader social market. Programmatic pricing in Guideline’s data has also remained relatively steady, although the premium inventory represented in the dataset is important context.

The episode closes by looking ahead.

If streaming platforms continue adding inventory, how do they maintain premium pricing?

Sean expects more innovation: pause ads, interactive formats, commerce integrations, QR codes, and other experiences designed to create additional value beyond the traditional 30-second spot.

And somehow, that leads to a debate over whether Sean should buy a “dumb TV” that won’t listen to him.

In this episode:

• Q2 digital advertising pricing trends
• U.S. vs. UK vs. Canada CPMs
• Why pricing historically looked surprisingly similar across markets
• Why the markets are starting to diverge
• How streaming inventory affects CPMs
• Why U.S. and UK video pricing is declining
• Why Canadian video pricing remains stronger
• Pharma CPMs rising nearly 125%
• Travel CPMs increasing roughly 55%
• Why travel advertisers are shifting toward video
• Quick-service restaurants moving toward cheaper inventory
• Household supplies CPMs falling roughly 21%
• TikTok’s influence on social media pricing
• Programmatic CPM trends
• Supply and demand in streaming advertising
• Pause ads and interactive streaming formats
• How streamers may defend premium pricing

Media Monitor breaks down what’s happening across media and advertising and explains what the data actually means.

Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for a new episode every Wednesday.

If you’d like access to the benchmark report or want to suggest a topic for the next part of the programmatic series, reach out to press@guideline.ai.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future conversations on advertising, media strategy, and cultural marketing moments.

And if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, a quick rating or review helps more people discover the show.

The World Cup has become a much bigger advertising business in the U.S.

In this episode of Media Monitor, Kelly Sweeney and Sean Wright break down Guideline’s first-ever game-by-game World Cup advertising analysis and look at how the 2026 tournament changed the economics of the event.

The headline number is substantial: Guideline estimates roughly $2 billion in U.S. advertising revenue across television and streaming, compared with less than $400 million during the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

That means the advertising business grew roughly fivefold in four years.

Several factors helped drive the change.

The 2026 tournament was hosted across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, making game times far more accessible to U.S. audiences. Soccer interest has also continued to grow in the country, supported by professional leagues, the U.S. women’s national team, entertainment, and broader cultural adoption.

Streaming played a major role.

Guideline estimates streaming impressions increased from roughly 2 billion in 2022 to 7 billion in 2026, while streaming and simulcast advertising accounted for around $500 million in this year’s tournament.

Pricing moved sharply higher as well.

Sean explains that a World Cup Final ad unit averaged just under $2 million, compared with roughly $500,000 during the 2022 Final. In 2026, that $500,000 level was closer to the average cost of appearing in a standard World Cup match.

U.S. games also attracted major advertising demand. Two U.S. knockout-round matches generated roughly $40 million each, while the Final generated an estimated $150 million across Fox and Telemundo in Guideline’s data.

Another big shift came from Spanish-language streaming.

During the 2022 World Cup, Telemundo accounted for roughly one-third of streaming ad dollars. In 2026, its share climbed to just under half, showing how strongly audiences responded to the Telemundo and Peacock viewing experience.

Kelly and Sean close by looking toward 2030.

With the next World Cup hosted across Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, the discussion turns to what broadcasters and streaming platforms may do next—from additional streaming distribution and sponsorship formats to more monetization around live matches and surrounding content.

In this episode:

• Why U.S. World Cup ad revenue reached roughly $2 billion
• How that compares with the 2022 Qatar tournament
• The impact of North American time zones
• Why U.S. soccer interest continues to grow
• Streaming impressions rising from roughly 2B to 7B
• TV versus streaming advertising revenue
• Why U.S. knockout matches attracted major ad spend
• The estimated $150M advertising value of the Final
• Why World Cup ad pricing moved sharply higher
• Final ad units approaching $2M
• Telemundo’s growing share of streaming ad dollars
• The role of Peacock in World Cup consumption
• What advertisers and rights holders may do differently in 2030
• Why live sports continues to attract growing media investment

If you’d like access to the benchmark report or want to suggest a topic for the next part of the programmatic series, reach out to press@guideline.ai.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future conversations on advertising, media strategy, and cultural marketing moments.

And if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, a quick rating or review helps more people discover the show.