Cross-sector collaboration as the new growth engine

TV/ProAV

TV OS platform Battle will be accelerated by retailers’ owned platform

“The TV OS platform landscape for 2026 is being reshaped by Amazon and Walmart through strategic OS and advertising partnerships. Walmart’s integration of Vizio OS into Onn TVs gives it end-to-end control of the CTV stack, while Amazon’s alliance with Roku and Disney creates an unmatched advertising footprint.”

Patrick Horner, Practice Leader, TV

Following Walmart’s acquisition of Vizio, significant changes are expected for the operating system of Walmart’s in-house TV brand, Onn. Once Walmart’s Onn TVs are equipped with Vizio’s CastOS, Walmart, as a retailer, will gain the ability to independently operate the platform, similar to how Amazon manages its Fire TV platform.

This strategic choice gives Walmart a substantial installed base of TVs, powered by a platform it owns, allowing the retailer to advertise directly to customers and enhance its e-commerce performance. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Fire TV continues its rapid growth, further escalating the competitive landscape against Walmart’s CastOS TVs, alongside other major players such as Samsung’s Tizen, LG Electronics’ webOS, Google Android, and Roku TVs.

This research is taken from:

TV Sets Spotlight Service

Games

Digital storefront strategy

"Court rulings targeting app stores could have seismic effects on game developers' margins, and have put market players on high alert for a billion-dollar D2C opportunity."

Dom Tait, Research Director, Interactive Entertainment

Platforms such as Steam and PlayStation Store control the digital distribution of games but understanding how they compare – in terms of community tools, search flexibility, and depth of discounting – is crucial for executing a successful games strategy. Meanwhile, in the app ecosystem, the old walled gardens may finally crumble as Google proposes to fully open up Android to third-party app stores, providing new opportunities for a host of market players.

This research is taken from:

Games Spotlight Service

Media and Entertainment

Partnerships with the biggest social, premium video, and ad tech platforms become crucial: From audience measurement to monetization mastery

"The media & entertainment market approaches $1.2tn in 2026, creating unprecedented opportunities. Partnerships with leading social, premium video, and ad tech platforms are now crucial. Understanding how these platforms impact video consumption and monetization is essential for identifying optimal strategic partnerships."

Maria Rua Aguete, Head of Media and Entertainment

Premium video players need to partner with big tech to both protect and, crucially, grow their addressable audiences, accessibility to advertisers and, as a result, ad revenue.

Recent developments have seen Disney and Netflix partnering with Amazon to sell OTT ads, a distribution alliance between TF1 and Netflix, and greater distribution of Channel 4/ITV content on YouTube. Tracking the effect of different platforms' impact upon the consumption, and monetization, of video will be crucial to identifying the right strategic partnerships.

This research is taken from:

Advertising Intelligence Service
TV & Online Video Intelligence Service