The 2026 Comcast Advertising Report provides insights on today's shifting viewing habits, TV ad buying trends, and how AI is transforming the advertising landscape.
Across conversations on connected TV (CTV), AI, retail media, and measurement, a consistent theme emerged: the future of advertising is being shaped by stronger signals, not louder noise.
TV advertising has always been a must-buy for brands as it drives growth in customer base and business. And for good reason: Research shows consumers are 42% more likely to say TV was how they first discovered a new brand compared to social media.
For many regional and local advertisers, growing their customer base isn’t always easy—especially when potential audiences are limited to specific DMAs or geographic areas. That’s where addressable TV advertising comes in.
TV has always been a powerful tool for driving brand awareness, but measuring its performance across the funnel has typically been a challenge. Today’s advertisers need to be able to understand how all of their media investments are driving impact – including TV.
Women’s sports have experienced a major surge in popularity over the last few years, and with its record-breaking viewership comes the ripe opportunity to connect with engaged audiences. 60% of sports fans said they would like to see more media exposure for women’s sports highlighting the major interest from viewers.
2026 Streaming Uncovered: Marketers plan to increase spend on ad-supported streaming platforms as they seek to boost loyalty and win-back consumers in a challenging economy.
Live sports offer something few other genres can: massive, real-time audiences that are deeply engaged. With 85% of fans preferring to watch games on TV over attending in person, it’s no surprise that sports accounted for 96% of the most-watched non-political programs.
Click here to explore how streaming delivered incremental value and why a multiscreen strategy is essential for advertisers.
Advertising only works if you can measure its impact. For advertisers, that means going beyond impressions and clicks to understand how media spend drives real business outcomes.